What He Feared the Most
by FireAnne47
Summary: Roy didn't particularly see himself as a protective man, but when the Fuhrer takes his threats too far, Roy will find something within himself he never imagined was possible. Parental RoyXEd Non Yaoi
1. What Would Keep Him Up At Night

**Hey, friends! I'm back! With a new story! WOO! Ha-ha. It's been a while, hasn't it? I've been a bit busy with HOBY and job hunting and what not, but I'll try to update this as frequently as possible. And I actually have a few questions for you guys but I'll save those for the end. Until then, on with the show!**

**And I changed some of the text and scene from the original episode. And this takes place around Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Episode 29**

**By the way, I'll be using xxx to separate the flashback from the rest of the story.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood**

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**CHAPTER I**

**WHAT WOULD KEEP HIM UP AT NIGHT **

_Fullmetal, Fullmetal, Fullmetal_! All Roy Mustang could think about was Fullmetal! That damn golden hair and shit-eating grin were burned into his retinas. Roy knew he should've been paying attention to the words being spoken to him at the direct moment, but he couldn't help but lose his focus as easily as he was. There was too much on his mind and the droning speech being presented to him was only making his mind wander even further. The events of the previous night continually tormented him by replaying over and over again in the colonel's mind.

**xxx**

_"Alright, now get in the car, invalid!" Edward ordered in his typical cocky attitude._

_ Al leaned in closer to the car and spoke to Riza. "Lieutenant, please take care of Lan Fan."_

_ Riza nodded in agreement and placed her hand on the injured girl's forehead protectively._

_ 'Wait a minute…' Roy slowly began to realize, 'Why is Alphonse telling Hawkeye to look after this girl? Why can't he watch her? And why aren't those three getting into the car!?' Suddenly, harsh realization dawned on Roy. "You expect me to run away and leave this to you, Elric!?" Roy barked at Ed. _

_ "IF YOU STAY YOU'LL JUST GET IN OUR WAY!" Ed hollered while getting into the colonel's face._

_ "Yeah, leave!" Alphonse added, just for good measure._

_ Roy was well ready to protest when Riza stopped him. "They're right. You won't be any use here. Sorry."_

_ Roy felt like he had just had the wind knocked out of him. Useless. He was useless._

_ Ed straightened up and put on a serious expression. "Right now, you need to go and do your job. The head of the military is a homunculus. Don't you think you should do something about that?"_

_ Roy's eyes widened with the level of maturity Edward was displaying. It was truly a remarkable sight._

_ Riza gasped and jumped in her seat. "The head of the military? You aren't talking about Fuhrer Bradley, are you!?"_

_ Dr. Knox, who had been waiting somewhat patiently in the driver's seat, slammed his fist on the steering wheel in frustration. "We can talk about it later! Now, get in!" He apparently lost what little patience he had left._

_ Ed, Al, and Ling all looked at each other and nodded. Ed returned his gaze to the colonel and gave his best shit-eating grin. "The car looks full. You go ahead."_

_ Dr. Knox's jaw dropped. "You dumbasses!"_

_ Riza was just as equally stunned. "You can't really believe that we'll let a couple of children fight this battle for us!"_

_ Ling smiled confidently and looked past the car in a star-gazing way. "With the senior staff involved in this, you're going to need all the help you can get."_

_ "And that would include getting whatever information we can out of this Gluttony guy, wouldn't you say?" Ed added, hoping to convince the occupants of the car to leave them behind._

_ "We'll stay here and find out what we can. I don't think it matters much that we're children," Alphonse stated. Now this level of maturity was expected of Alphonse, so it came as less of a shock._

_ Edward took a step back and gave a thumbs-up. "This was our mission to begin with and we're going to see it through. We appreciate your help up until now, though."_

_ Roy never felt so useless before in his life. All of that was a lie. They could deal with the Fuhrer after this beast was taken care of. The only thing that made it so Roy couldn't stay and fight was his injury. He'd never felt so weak before. And now, he was leaving children to fight a homunculus all by themselves._

_ Riza pulled out her handgun and clicked in a new magazine. "Here, Edward, I want you to take this. You do know how to use it, don't you?"_

_ Ed gasped at the gun being held out for him. He stared at it wide-eyed with shock._

_ "That's a weapon for killing people…" Al stated in disbelief. He couldn't believe such a device was being handed to his older brother._

_ "Yes," Riza answered, "But it's also a weapon for protecting your lives."_

_ Ed seemed to be debating the whole matter in his head. After a few moments, he hesitantly took the gun into his hand. "I'll take it."_

_ A loud explosion and ball of alchemical light erupted from the forest behind them._

_ Ling quickly leaned into the car and stared at Riza. "Look after Lan Fan." Riza nodded in agreement._

_ The injured girl stirred and began to fuss. "Wait… my lord!" She called._

_ Roy couldn't help that his mouth hung open slightly as he watched the three run off into the distance. And for reasons he can't explain, his gaze fixated on Edward, his youngest subordinate. He got a feeling in his chest… Some sort of guilt mixed with sadness and fear bubbled up inside of him. But as he watched the boy's blonde hair swoosh from side to side, he was also filled with another emotion. One that he just could not name for the life of him._

_ "Let's go," Roy demanded abruptly. When there was hesitation, he became more aggressive. "I said go!"_

_ Knox punched the steering wheel yet again and slammed on the gas. "Damn! What're they thinking!? Those three are going to get themselves killed!"_

_ 'Don't you even think about dying, Fullmetal…' Roy silently ordered, fear slowly building up in the back of his mind._

**xxx**

Roy was pulled out of his thoughts by the names of his subordinates being listed off to him. He quickly remembered just what his situation was, and is immediately pissed. The Fuhrer knows that _he_ knows that he is a homunculus.

"I'd suggest you listen carefully, colonel," Bradley told with his back facing Roy. The homunculus in disguise was staring out of the window while drinking tea from an intricately decorated teacup. He was eerily calm and collected for just having been discovered as a homunculus.

Mustang growled very quietly in pure disgust. He'd just lost every one of his men, save the lieutenant. But everyone else was being sent to opposite corners of the country. His army was being torn apart in a matter of seconds, and there wasn't a single damn thing he could do to stop it.

Bradley shifted on his feet and took a sip of his tea. "As I have told you, Selim will never be used as a weakness towards me. You certainly can try to hold him over my head, but it just won't work. But you, Mustang, your human nature makes making a threat far easier. You _care_ about others, making my job less of a hassle."

"What are you talking about?" Roy spat. He was using every ounce of his will to not lunge from his seat and take down the Fuhrer right here and now.

"I'm talking about Miss Hawkeye, your lieutenant. She's being reassigned as well… as my personal assistant. With her under my watch twenty-four-seven, I can control your every action. If you even think about disobeying one of my orders, she'll pay. If you try to do something foolish, she'll pay. And if you ever think about interfering with our plans, she will pay."

Roy stewed quietly in his seat. He didn't dare make a move. With Riza's life at stake, there was nothing he could do except silently damn the man in front of him. And now everything had been taken away. His pawn, his rook, his knight, his bishop, and now his queen: all of them had been ripped out right from under his nose.

"Of course, I do want to stack the deck," Bradley announced abruptly before taking another sip of his drink.

_'Stack the deck? He has every one of my men! What more could he take away!?' _Now Roy was beginning to sweat. Was this bastard planning on killing one of his men, just to prove that he could and _would_ do it? Or maybe he was going to take away his rank as well. But other than that, Roy couldn't think of anything more Bradley and the homunculi could take away.

"We do have that boy to deal with. He has become quite a nuisance. Unfortunately, I am not permitted to kill him. But… there's no rule saying I can't put him through excruciating pain. Now, what do you think we should do about Fullmetal, Mustang?"

Roy gasped. Now he lost control. He flew up from his chair, knocking it over in the process, and began to scream. "You bastard! You leave Fullmetal out of this! He has nothing to do with this! You stay the hell away from him!"

Bradley let out an evil laugh as he turned away from the window. "Did I strike a nerve, colonel? I honestly didn't expect that kind of reaction from you, considering how cold you act towards the boy. I figured the boy was nothing more than a dog on his leash in your eyes. I'd have to say, this is turning out better than expected. Now I really can't leave the boy out of this," Bradley paused and moved his gaze right into the colonel's. "And he has far from nothing to do with this."

"Don't you even think about laying a finger on him!" Roy cried. He couldn't explain why the threat against Edward was getting him so worked up, but getting him worked up it was. "I'll light you up faster than you can say-"

"Colonel!" Bradley scolded, "I would highly suggest you refrain from threatening your Fuhrer. You see, now that I have control of everyone under your command, there is nothing you can do to me. And I promise you, I will make that boy experience pain like he has never felt before. Do not disobey me, Mustang, because I will take it out on him. And if I happen to get carried away, so be it. I can always find another sacrifice. And I will always have someone else to use against you."

Mustang was ready to snap, _literally _snap. He wanted to burn Bradley to a crisp. No, he wanted to burn him to nothing.

"Now sit down and collect yourself, we have guests."

Roy bowed his head and picked up his chair before resituating himself in the comfortable, cushioned seat. The creak of the door opening caused Roy to involuntarily look up and crane his neck towards the noise. And to his surprise, the topic of their discussion was waltzing in as if nothing had happened, suit of armor in tow.

Roy was overjoyed. He was beyond overjoyed. Except for the bandage placed on the boy's forehead, he looked unharmed. Which was shocking considering just how pissed that Gluttony was the night before. But in walked the golden-haired alchemist, looking as healthy as ever. And surprisingly clean as well.

The next half hour went by in a blur. If you would ask Roy to recall anything that was discussed, the only thing he could tell you was Fullmetal tried to give up his title as state alchemist. However, the Fuhrer used a similar tactic as he had done with Roy and held Ed's mechanic over the boy's head, threatening to do something awful if Ed gave tried to leave the military.

When it was all said and done, the two alchemists were dismissed. Roy was trying his absolute hardest to control himself as he walked out of the office. He jumped a little as the Fuhrer inserted his sword into Alphonse's armor, not quite certain why Bradley thought it was necessary to stab someone that couldn't exactly be killed. But still he kept quiet. Well, he kept quiet until they were out of the office.

"Fullmetal!" Roy shrieked, interrupting the two boys' conversation.

Ed sighed and rolled his eyes before returning to Alphonse. "You take her to Knox, alright? I'll catch up with you in a little bit."

"Okay, brother. But be careful," Alphonse requested as he made his leave.

Roy was a little irritated at being ignored, but he quickly got over it. "Would you care to tell me just what happened after we left, Fullmetal?"

Ed crossed his arms and shifted his weight. "You really think this is the best place to talk about it? I'll tell you about it when we get to Knox's. But right now, I have some business to take care of."

_'You have business to take care of!? I've been worried sick and you just run off without telling me a damn thing!? Just what the hell could be so important that you have to leave so suddenly!?' _Roy was screaming on the inside while the outside appeared calm. He figured whatever Ed had to do was important and he could wait for his explanation. Although, he really didn't have the patience to wait anymore.

Ed suddenly jumped as if he'd been shocked. Then he started to dig around his pockets. When they turned up empty, he turned to Roy. "Hey, colonel, do you have any change on you?"

Roy raised his eyebrow but emptied his pocket despite the confusion. "Yeah sure…" He answered as he placed the few coins in the boy's hand.

Ed sorted through the changed and sighed. "Jeeze, is this all you've got? Oh well, it'll have to do. I'll see you later, colonel!" Ed called as he took off.

Roy blinked a few times in surprise, but soon recovered. "Damn it all… Now I'm broke, confused, and I still don't know what happened…"

…

_'What am I supposed to do now?' _Roy pondered as he trotted along the street. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and fixed his gaze on the ground. He took a sudden left, too busy thinking to worry about where he was going. _'The Fuhrer is a homunculus… Our nation's ruler is a homunculus! Maes was right, the problem isn't closing in on us, it's coming from within us… The whole military is corrupt. I can't just stand by and watch Amestris fall to pieces!'_

Roy stole a quick glance at the street and made his move to cross, not even sure where this path would lead him. _'But if I try anything, they'll go after my men. Not that I have to worry about them, I know they can handle themselves. They're more than capable of protecting their own lives… not that they should have to.'_

"Sorry," Roy muttered to the person he bumped into. They probably didn't even hear him, but he still felt the need to apologize.

_'But Fullmetal… They'll go after Fullmetal… I'm sure he can take care of himself, but he's still just a kid. He's not an expert marksman, or knows anything about bombs, or is a technical genius. He's just a kid… But is one kid's life worth risking an entire country for?'_

Roy's head shot up at the thought. He mentally slapped himself and started forward again, steaming from his own stupidity. _'Don't ever say anything like that again! That kid has been through more hell than any one person should go through in an entire lifetime! He deserves to live! And you'd better damn well find a way to fix this country without sacrificing any lives!'_

Roy ran his hand through his hair and looked up into the blue sky. Streaks of pinks and yellows were starting to penetrate the intense blue, indicating the beginning of a beautiful sunset. "What am I going to do, Hughes?"

"Colonel?" A voice blurted from behind.

Roy turned to see Ed running up to him. He had to smile at the boy's energy. It was refreshing to see some enthusiasm.

"What're you doing out here, colonel? I thought you were going to Knox's," Ed tilted his head slightly to the side, emphasizing his confusion.

Roy shrugged his shoulders and looked up at the sky. "It's a nice day so I figured I'd walk. Guess I just lost track of time." He shook out of his distant gaze and looked down to the blonde in front of him. "You didn't get hurt last night, Fullmetal, did you?"

"Well…" Ed started. He scratched the back of his neck and laughed nervously. "Not exactly…"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"I got eaten…" Ed mumbled, almost as if he were embarrassed to admit it.

"WHAT!?" Roy screamed.

Ed face-palmed and started forward. "Way to draw attention to us, colonel. Now I can't tell you anything until we get there."

Roy growled and started behind Edward, wishing he had controlled himself better. _'I can't wait any longer dammit! I don't have that kind of patience!'_

"What should we do now, colonel?" Ed asked suddenly, breaking the silence that had crept up in between the two.

Roy sighed and frowned. "I don't know, Fullmetal…"

"Bradley said Al and I could still look for a way to restore our bodies… we just can't get involved with their plans or interfere with the military. What about you? I'm guessing he's threatening you somehow as well."

"He's sending all of my men to the different ends of the country. And Hawkeye is the Fuhrer's new personal assistant."

Ed kicked at the ground and shoved his own hands into his pockets. "I guess you're pretty restricted in what you can do too. But… we have to do something! We've got to stop them, colonel, no matter what!"

Oh how Roy wanted to agree with Edward. He liked the boy's enthusiasm, but something like that could get someone killed. "Don't worry; we're going to stop this. There's no chance in hell that I'm going to let them go through with this."

"Good," Ed muttered. He stifled a yawn and scratched his head. "Hey, I'm going to go get Al and head back to the hotel. I'll meet up with you later, alright?"

Roy nodded and waved at Ed as the boy took off. But before the kid got too far away, he decided he wanted the final word. "Be careful, Fullmetal!" Roy called, hands cupped around his mouth. _'I can't let them go through with their plans… but that means putting Fullmetal in danger. I… I don't know what to do…'_

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**Okay, I have a few questions.**

**- I'm going on a date Saturday ( my first one ) and I don't know what to wear. Just a little dating advice would be appreciated lol XD**

**- I have a really short, dark, depressing one-shot that I'm hesitant on posting because there is honestly nothing happy about it but I don't feel it's that bad. Just give me a yay or nay on posting it.**

**- Okay, this is the big question. In the episode where Scar first meets May Chang and Xiao May, it looks like he reaches out to touch that panda. WHY? Please, I need an answer. It's killing me. **

**Okay, if you happen to have an answer or and advice, just leave it in a review or PM me. IT WOULD BE SO WONDERFULLY APPRECIATED! **

**And if you haven't already, I invite you to read my other stories When You Forget the Date and Overcoming Differences.**


	2. What Lurks in the Shadows

**Hey, guys, sorry it's taken so long to get this up. I haven't had much time over the past few days to work on this. And thanks for the wonderful reviews and answers to my questions. And the dating advice. BTW, if anyone was wondering, my date was well... not an event I'd like to discuss any time soon. Let's just say, this rain is fitting for my mood right now. But life gets better, right? So I'll keep my head up and look to a brighter future. But still, all of your reviews were wonderful and made me really happy! Thank you so much! And I posted that one shot I was talking about. It's called As Simple as a Bullet. **

**To my one guest reviewer, I apologize for the previous chapter. I fixed the ~ mistake and replaced it. And I'm sorry that it wasn't interesting. I'm not too good with opening chapters haha. Believe me, I cannot write a nice hook to save my life lol. I hope that you like this chapter better and I hope you'll still give the story a chance. **

**Well, I guess we'd better get on with the show!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood**

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**CHAPTER II**

**WHAT LURKS IN THE SHADOWS**

'_Damn it all! Why the hell do I have to do all this paperwork!? Isn't there some other lackey in this damn building that can do all of this shit!?' _As usual, Roy was silently bitching about having to do paperwork. Although typically, he'd give a verbal complaint just so his subordinates would know just how much he hated to sign papers. Today however, there was no one around to listen to him. They were all gone. Just the other day, Falman, Breda, Fuery, Havoc, and Hawkeye were sitting in the now empty chairs, signing away at their own paperwork.

Roy sighed and leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest in the process. A few strands of black hair fell in his face, so he half-heartedly blew them away. "It's too damn quiet in here…" He muttered quietly to himself.

A sudden knock on the door made Roy jump, as it greatly contrasted with the immense silence of the room.

"Come in," Roy acknowledged before leaning back over his stack of documents.

A shorter, light-haired man poked his head in and scanned the room. Then he slowly, carefully, and hesitantly entered the room. "C-Colonel Mustang Sir?" He voiced timidly.

Roy looked up and raised his eyebrow. "Yes?" He asked suspiciously.

The man looked from side to side before placing a small, white envelope on Mustang's desk. Then he leaned in close to Mustang and put one of his hands to his mouth. "Fuhrer Bradley ordered me to give this to you. He didn't seem pleased when he gave it to me."

Roy had to stop himself from gasping. He hurriedly shooed the soldier out of his room and ripped the envelope open.

_Colonel Roy Mustang,_

_I gave you a very fair warning but you have disobeyed my orders. I am very sorry to inform you that I now must take action. Hopefully, you will see that I do not make hollow threats. I do hope we do not have a repeat of these events… for Fullmetal's sake._

_- Fuhrer Bradley_

Roy jumped from his seat and kicked his chair out of his way. He angrily threw open his doors and stomped down the hall. His loud footsteps and angered expression caused him to receive looks from every single person he happened to pass by. But Roy didn't have the time or the patience to stop and give them a piece of his mind.

The colonel didn't even bother knocking before he threw open the door to the Fuhrer's office and stormed inside.

"Why hello, colonel? To what do I owe this pleasure?" Bradley greeted with a smile. Oddly enough, even though the man always looked pissed as fuck, he seemed genuinely happy when he smiled.

On the other hand, that smile wasn't about to lighten the colonel's mood. Roy slammed the letter onto Bradley's desk and planted his hands firmly on the treated cherry wood. "Just what the hell is this!?"

"Oh?" Bradley tilted his head to the side and stared at the colonel. "I do believe I made it perfectly clear in the letter."

"Like hell you did!? I haven't done one damn thing wrong! What 'order' did I disobey!?"

"You were plotting to interfere with our plans," Bradley whispered sadistically.

Roy's eyes widened as he leaned back. _'How… how could he know that we discussed it? It's impossible! We only said a few words about it! No… No! He's not doing one damn thing to Fullmetal!'_

"I already told you, Mustang, I'm watching all the time. Every breath you take, every move you make, I'll be watching. I know about everything you do. I know about every conversation you've had. Please, do be self-conscious now. Maybe you'll think twice about what you say."

Mustang growled and took a few steps back. After cooling down for a few seconds, he bowed his head and hid his eyes with his hair. "Now what do you plan to do?"

Bradley smirked and clasped his hands together. "This is only your first offense, so I'll go easy on the boy. There's a small mission in an old mining town that requires the skills of a state alchemist. Fullmetal fits the description perfectly, so you'll be sending him off."

_'That doesn't sound so bad… He goes on mining town assignments all the time. I'm sure he'll be fine…' _Mustang concluded in relief.

Bradley cleared his throat and stared into Mustang's eyes. "There _have been _rumors about the mine being less than structurally sound. And it's also rumored that a wild animal lurks in the dark corners of the mine. It's been abandoned for many years now, so no one truly knows what the condition is like." Bradley smiled evilly, knowing this small bit of extra information was all it was going to take to put Roy on edge.

_'Dammit, I should've known that there would be a catch. Great, now I have to send Fullmetal into an abandoned mine with a potentially dangerous animal lurking in it. Shit, he's going to be pissed if he gets hurt. Hell, I'M going to be pissed if he gets hurt.'_

Bradley pulled out an envelope from his desk drawer and handed it to Mustang. "This has all of the information relating to the assignment in it. All you have to do now is send him on his way. He leaves tomorrow, first thing in the morning."

"Yes, sir…" Roy said with a nod. He then turned to make his leave but was stopped.

"Remember, colonel, Fullmetal will not know about our arrangement, understood? That would result in immediate termination of the boy's life."

Again, Roy nodded. He quickly slipped into the hall and began a slow pace back to his empty office. The halls were bustling with life and energy of MPs.

_'Ignorant soldiers… How can they not see the danger lurking right in the office next to theirs? Yeah, like you're one to talk, Mustang. You had no idea either.' _Roy shook his head and hurriedly ran into his office. He just wanted to sit down and relax, just let all of this stress melt away. But that would be too easy. He still had things to take care of, and one of them was bound to make certain that Roy didn't sleep for the next few days.

Roy sighed and picked up his phone, feeling more and more guilt build in his chest with each number he dialed. It got even worse when his phone began to ring, each tone keeping him in more and more suspense.

The worst of it came when the phone was finally answered.

_"Hello?" _Ed's voice asked from the other end.

Roy's chest constricted and he swallowed hard. "Fullmetal, I need you in my office within the hour. Can you do that?"

_"Uh… sure. But this is pretty late notice. What gives, colonel?" _

Roy pinched the bridge of his nose and growled. He was way too stressed to be taking any shit from Ed today. "Just get your short ass here as soon as you can."

_"WHY YOU BASTARD! JUST WHO THE HELL ARE YOU CALLING SHO-"_

Roy slammed the phone onto the receiver before Ed had the chance to go off in one of his short rants. He shook his head and sank down into his chair, leaning his head back in the process. Why did he feel so tired all of a sudden? Was it because he was worried or did he just not get any sleep the previous night? Whatever was making him yawn soon took effect and Roy was fast asleep in no time.

…

"YOU'VE GOT SOME EXPLAINING TO DO, COLONEL BASTARD! JUST WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE TO CALL ME IN HERE ON SUCH SHORT NOTICE AND _THEN _HAVE THE NERVE TO MAKE FUN OF MY HEIGHT!?"

Roy's head shot up as a pissed Edward Elric threw open the door to his office. _'How'd he get here so fast? I just called him…' _Roy glanced over at his clock while rubbing his eyes and gasped. _'Oh shit! I was out for an hour!' _Roy then realized that Fullmetal was standing in front of his desk, glaring right into his soul. "Hello, Fullmetal, glad you could make it," Roy said rather unemotionally.

Ed growled and flopped into a chair across from Roy. "Would you just tell me why the hell you called me to your office on such short notice?"

Roy nodded and dug around his desk, looking for the envelope that Bradley had handed to him. After a few minutes of digging, he finally found it and gave it to Ed. "I have a new assignment for you. It's a small assignment in this little mining town, so it should only take a day or two."

Edward's eyes seemed to widen as his head shot up. "Wait a minute, colonel! Al and I are supposed to be heading north tomorrow! I don't have time to go on an assignment!"

Roy felt another pang of guilt due to the pitifulness of Ed's voice. He was about to make a really lame argument when he remembered something about the assignment. "The town is some ways north. It's not as far up as Briggs, but it'll be a good head start for you and Al. Just stop there on your way."

Ed sighed in relief and leaned back a bit, obviously more relaxed now. "I guess that's okay. Al can do some research while we're there."

Roy nodded and was about to dismiss Ed when again, he remembered something. "But you'll hate to report back here when you're finished."

"WHAT!? WHY CAN'T I JUST MAIL YOU THE DAMN REPORT!?"

Roy imagined Ed being mauled by wild animals, and not wanting to come back to Central so he could do research. Roy stopped a shudder and shook his head, knowing he _had _to know if Ed was alright after this mission. But he couldn't tell Fullmetal that. Bradley would send him on another assignment like this, and Roy wouldn't be able to handle this much stress again.

"I'm going to do some digging on Bradley and the homunculi while you're gone. I'll try to find some information on those guys while you're checking out that mine," Roy whispered, "When you report back to me, we can discuss anything I've found. And we both know we can't do it over the phone or through mail. It'll only be for a day or two. You can wait that long to go to Briggs."

Ed crossed his arms and pouted in defeat. "Whatever…"

Roy sighed and sorted through his documents that needed to be signed. "You leave first thing tomorrow, but for now, you're dismissed."

"Alright… I'll be back in a few days to report. And you'd better have something when I get back!" Ed yelled as he made his way towards the door.

Mustang rolled his eyes and started to sign a paper when a thought struck him. "Hey, Fullmetal, be careful. Don't do anything stupid, alright?"

Ed stopped in his tracks and turned around. "Is there something you're not telling me, colonel? You _never _tell me to be careful. Sure, I thought it was weird yesterday but again today? What gives?"

_'I really never tell him to be careful? That seems a little heartless when you think about it…' _Roy blinked and cleared his throat. "No… I just know it's going to be colder up there and I don't want you getting frostbite or something. Or if you got sick, you'd be slowing me down and I don't have the time to wait for you to get better." Roy noted that something seemed to flicker in Ed's eyes but he quickly ignored it.

Ed mumbled a quick bastard and slammed the door on his way out.

_'That was weird… Did he seem… disappointed? No, that's ridiculous. Whatever, just get back to work. Find something to take your mind off of it. It's only a few days, then he'll come back here and you'll see that he's just fine. Nothing to worry about…' _Roy sighed and began to methodically sign his papers. It was going to be a long couple of days for the Flame Alchemist.

…

"Be careful, brother. Don't do anything stupid while you're in there," Al warned, his innocent voice lacking the harshness it should've had.

Ed felt Al's lit up eyes staring at him and shrugged his brother off. "C'mon, Al, I'm going to be fine. I just have to check out the mines and then I'll be back. We've done these kinds of assignments a hundred times before. I promise to be careful, okay?" He paused and let another thought come to him. "AND WHY DOES EVERYONE ASSUME I'M GOING TO DO SOMETHING STUPID!?"

Alphonse gave a light chuckle and nodded for his elder brother. "Okay. I'll be in the library if you need me."

Ed let out a small, semi sarcastic laugh as he made his way into the mines, still slightly steaming from the comments on him doing something stupid. All he had on him was a flashlight and a bottle of water tucked into his winter jacket. It looked exactly the same as his normal red cloak, except it was thicker and was edged with fleece.

_'Damn colonel and him sending me off on a damn assignment just as Al and I were going to leave. He's got some nerve…' _

Ed slowly walked along the old mines, mapping down his progress as went. He noted weak spots in the structure, and made sure to look for any cracks in the support beams. The deeper he went in, the darker it became. Eventually, his flashlight only provided enough light to see a straight beam ahead.

The rough, ragged rocks did not make for an easy travelling surface. Ed tripped more than once over stones and shifts in the rock. He also stubbed his toes, both automail and real, on several obstacles in his path.

Ed groaned loudly as he came to a fork in the path. It had been a straight shot since he started, and now he was being forced to make a decision. "Left or right… Left or right… AGH! I DON'T KNOW!" Ed screamed. He heard something that sounded like rumbling in the distance and gulped. _'I should probably try to be a little quieter. I guess the walls create some pretty strong echoes, and this place definitely isn't strong enough to handle any sort of disturbance.'_

Ed sighed and went with his gut, which for some reason told him left. As he made his way down the path, he began noticing unusual markings. There looked to be scratches on the walls, as if something had been clawing at the rock. And he thought he caught a glimpse of a bone or two. But something in the back of his mind was telling him that if he stopped to take a second look, he wouldn't be able to go all the way back and then he'd have to tell Mustang about why he failed the assignment.

Ed had been walking for some time now, and was starting to get bored. Like, horribly bored. Aside from the occasional cracked support beam and scratches in the wall, there was nothing to look at. Hell, there was honestly _nothing _in those mines. He hadn't seen so much as a pickaxe the whole time. And so Ed began to whistle. He whistled any random tune that came to his head. Little did Edward know that his whistling was going to create more of a problem than it should have.

All of the sudden, something seemed to punch Ed in the gut. Not physically, but mentally, something hit him. He felt nervous, and anxious, as if someone were pointing a gun in his direction. But he was alone, right? There was nothing in those mines. They've been abandoned for years. What could possibly be lurking in the shadows?

Ed wasn't given the time to find out. From the moment he heard the first sound, his mind went blank. It started as a low growl, very low. But it quickly grew, and then a few more growls were added. They sounded like pure evil, and it sent shivers down Ed's spine.

Ed slowly stopped his whistling and quickly halted his walking. _'What the hell…?' _He wondered nervously as he listened to the noise. The growling was becoming louder, and was now accompanied by the sound of footsteps. Or, it was more like the pitter patter of several people running.

_'Is there someone down here…? But… People don't growl… Well if it's not another person, what is it?' _Ed pondered, becoming increasingly nervous. He slowly scanned in front of him with his flashlight, hoping he'd see something.

But what he saw, he didn't like.

Glowing red eyes, sharp teeth and claws, and grey fur. That and the growling was all Ed needed to turn on his heels and run. _'Dammit dammit dammit! Shit shit shit!' _Ed was beginning to freak out silently in his mind as he ran through the old mine.

He pushed himself hard, but wasn't paying enough attention to the path in front of him. He failed to notice that the ground had a shift and was unlevel. The tip of Ed's boot got caught on the uneven rock and sent him tumbling for the ground. The impact caused him to drop his flashlight, and the light must've broken because it went out a second later.

Now he was stumbling to his feet in the dark, and didn't know which way to go. The growling was louder now, and the footsteps were becoming quicker. Ed started to run when something latched onto his real arm, sending a wave of pain through his nerves. Ed let out a holler and flailed his arm, feeling an added weight to it. An _extremely _heavy added weight. It suddenly became lighter and Ed knew he was free to run again. He heard a yelp and decided it was time to take off into overdrive.

A series of howls started to echo off the walls, and the support beams began to crack from the vibration. The whole mine was beginning to collapse, and Ed was still running, trying to find his way out in the dark.

He knew two things: one, he needed to find a way out and fast, and two, something sticky was running down his arm. The rumbling continued and grew in volume, but the howling died down as well as the growls. Ed was no longer being chased, but now he was racing against the mines. The whole system seemed to be shaking as if the area were undergoing an earthquake.

And then it collapsed. The support beams completely busted and gave way under the immense weight of the rock it had been holding up. Dust immediately filled the air, and if it were possible, the whole place got darker.

And Ed was still running, trying to find an exit before he too would be buried along with whatever had chased him in the dark corners of the mine. And so Ed kept running, even as rocks began to litter the path ahead of him. He kept running, even though the exit was just barely visible. He kept running, even though the situation seemed hopeless...

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**Well, that was Chapter dos... I sincerely hope it was better than the first one. I'm trying, I really am. Um, well, leave me a review and tell me what you think.**


	3. What Was Off

**Why hello, everyone! It's absolutely wonderful to see all of you again! Well, I had a hell of a time writing this. Nowhere near as exciting as the last chapter, but it's got some parental fluffy stuff. Oh yeah, sorry about that cliffy haha. Didn't mean to leave you hanging like that. Actually, I didn't even realize that the previous chapter had been a cliff hanger haha. But no worries, we get to find out what happened to poor Ed in this chapter! Although, you do have to wait just a tad longer :) Sorry, I'm a horrible person, I know. **

**Thank you for all the amazing reviews, and thank you to all who has favorited and followed this story! YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood**

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**CHAPTER III**

**WHAT WAS OFF**

"FULLMETAL!" Roy screamed as he shot up in bed. Beads of sweat trickled down his face and splattered onto his pillow while his heart was beating at a million miles an hour. He looked around his room, taking in the deep navy walls and white trim, and let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding in.

"It was only a nightmare…" He mumbled to himself before falling back into his pillow. It's soft, cushiony warmth was slowly easing Roy back into sleep, but images of the vivid dream continued to haunt him.

_'Just calm down, Roy. He'll be back in Central today and you'll see that everything is alright. You shouldn't be getting this worked up over a small assignment like this. He's fine and you know it.'_

Roy could hardly remember the dream now, but he knew it involved Edward and that mine. It was just another assignment, nothing new. Why was he getting so worked up about this one though? Was it because of the homunculi and what Bradley said… or was this his subconscious telling him that something really was going wrong? Well, he'd find out in just a few hours. But for now, Roy would be going back to sleep. He still had a few hours before dawn, and something as small as this wasn't going to keep him up.

Roy fell asleep quickly and his new rest was uninterrupted during the few hours he had to enjoy. And soon the clock on his wall began to chime. Seven _dings_ signaling the seventh hour of the morning. But it was the loud hawking of the blue alarm clock resting next to Roy's bed that finally awakened the flame alchemist.

Roy, still consumed by that morning daze, snapped at the alarm clock, thinking it was an intruder. Thankfully, he had decided to remove his gloves before going to bed or else his entire house would be in flames by now. The raven-haired alchemist sat up and rubbed his eyes, blanket falling around his waist in the process.

For once, Roy didn't mind waking up so early to get ready for work.

Said man had been in a frenzy for the past few days over the health and well-being of his youngest subordinate. Or in layman's terms, Roy was worried shitless about Ed. Fullmetal hadn't called once to report to Roy during his newest assignment… not that he ever did…

And it was driving Roy crazy!

He just wanted to know if the kid was alive! And he had no idea _why_ he was so worried. He's never this worried. He had sent Fullmetal on hundreds of assignments before, and not once has he given as much of a damn as he does now.

It was absolutely puzzling. Fullmetal was a smart-mouthed, annoying, pain-in-the-ass shrimp who didn't know his place nor had any respect.

But Roy knew that when push comes to shove, Ed could mature in a snap.

Roy quickly got in the shower and cleaned himself up, thinking for some reason that if he moved at a quicker pace, then time would move at a quicker pace and his ten o'clock appointment would arrive sooner. Unfortunately, his rushing only caused him to arrive at work early, allowing him to get in some extra signing before the day's hustle and bustle began.

It seemed that Roy would glance up at the clock every five seconds. And it would continually taunt him with its constant ticking and tocking. _Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. _The only relief Roy got from the repetitive noise was the occasional chime signaling another fifteen minutes had passed.

Roy growled, crossed his arms over his chest, and violently leaned back in his chair. _'There has to be something I can do to pass the time!' _Roy thought in frustration. Because obviously, doing your job doesn't pass time quickly enough.

Roy then resorted to clicking the end of his pen rapidly on the table. It was fast at first, but somehow ended up synching with the ticking of the clock.

Roy eventually ended up organizing the documents on his desk, without signing a single one of them. But it worked, and before he knew it, the clock struck ten.

Now the real shocker was that his ten o'clock was actually _on time_ for once.

There was a loud knock on the door and Roy couldn't help but smile. So the kid was alive after all.

"Come in," Roy announced dryly. He quickly hid his smile as the door swung open to reveal none other than the Fullmetal Alchemist, looking angry as ever. "It's nice to see you on time for once, Fullmetal. I noticed you didn't kick my door open as usual. I hope you didn't have a hard time reaching the door handle."

"JUST WHO THE HELL ARE YOU CALLING _SHORT_!?"

Roy snickered and noticeably relaxed. If Ed had the energy to explode at a short comment, he was just fine. Except… there was still something… _off._

Ed walked up to Roy's desk with his usual confidence and slammed his report onto the desk. "You dragged me all the way back to Central just to turn in this damn report, so you'd better have found something while I was gone!"

Roy was intently staring at Edward. There was something wrong… but what was it? There was something different with the way he turned in his report…

"ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME!?" Ed wailed as he snapped his fingers in front of the colonel's face. "Earth to colonel bastard!"

And then Roy saw it. Ed was using his automail arm for everything, to hand in his report, to open the door, and even to snap. But what really gave it away was when Ed absentmindedly rubbed his real arm, almost as if he were nervous about something.

"What's wrong with your arm, Fullmetal?" Roy questioned coldly, completely ignoring Ed and his persistent questions. He pushed away from his desk and stood up from his chair, readying to move towards the boy.

Ed tilted his head up and crossed his arms defiantly. "There's nothing wrong with my arm. Now are we going to talk or what?"

Roy rolled his eyes and began his advance on the young alchemist. "Tell me what's wrong with your arm and then we'll talk."

Ed was about to argue when Roy grabbed his flesh arm and started to roll up his jacket. "I already told you that there's nothing wrong! Get off of me! Let go!" Ed wailed as he struggled to get away.

Roy succeeded in rolling up Ed's signature red sleeve and revealing the flesh underneath. But he didn't expect to see the entirety of the boy's forearm poorly wrapped in white bandages that had begun to seep blood.

Roy tore his gaze away from the arm and moved his hard onyx eyes to Ed's. His gaze was cold and unwavering. "Tell me what happened right now or I swear, I _will_ court-martial you."

Ed sighed and snatched his arm away. "You never told me that damn mine was inhabited by _wolves._ And you also failed to inform me that the damn thing was ready to collapse at any damn second!"

Roy's eyes widened and he leaned in curiously. "You were attacked by _wolves_? And the mine collapsed!? And you didn't think to mention this earlier _because_!?"

"It's in that stupid report! Well… maybe not the getting attacked part… but the mine collapsing is in there! The whole damn thing came down within seconds! I was lucky to make it out alive!"

Roy sighed and fell back into his chair. Then he shook his head and rested his elbows on his desk. "_Please _tell me you went to the hospital to get your arm checked out?" Even though he knew by just how poorly the bandages had been wrapped, Roy figured he'd might as well ask Ed anyways.

"Well…" Ed started slowly. He looked around the room and scratched the back of his neck. "It was just a few bites and scratches so I just wrapped it up quickly myself. Sheesh, you're as bad as Al… But that's not the main problem right now! What did you find out!?"

_'He's attacked by wolves and doesn't even bother to go to a hospital. Idiot. And Bradley damn well knew what was in that mine. That bastard probably knew Fullmetal would be attacked… He wasn't kidding when he said he'd take it out on Fullmetal… I'm going to enjoy killing that bastard homunculus one of these days…'_

"One of these days, Fullmetal…" Roy mumbled to himself. He sighed loudly, just to let Ed know how irritated he was, and began rummaging through one of his drawers. He had composed a small file on the homunculi that only consisted of information Roy had already known. Turns out it's pretty damn hard to find any dirt on those bastards. But Roy knew that if he didn't have anything for Ed when the boy returned, he'd get his ass chewed out.

Roy found the folder he was looking for, and was just about to pull it out when there was an unexpected knock on his door.

"Uh… come in…" Roy stuttered, slightly surprised at the unexpected visitor. He was even more surprised by just _who_ walked into his office. Roy jumped out of his seat and threw himself into salute position, inconspicuously closing the drawer with the file in the process. "Good morning, Sir!" Roy stated, the preprogrammed greeting coming out automatically.

Fuhrer Bradley slowly waltzed into Roy's office, not bothering to close the door behind him, and smiled at the two soldiers. "Good morning, Mustang." Bradley stopped and turned towards Ed's direction, seeming genuinely surprised that the young alchemist was present. "Ah, Fullmetal! I'm glad I caught you before you left!"

This polite act the three of them were putting on was chewing Roy up on the inside. He figured Ed was just as raw about it as he was.

"Bradley," Ed stated rather bluntly. He was less successful in trying to be polite, but Roy knew the kid was doing pretty good considering what they all _really _wanted to be doing at this point.

Bradley took a step closer to Ed, making Roy uneasy. But he kept his composure and stayed quiet. "How was your last assignment? I heard that if it hadn't been for you coming to inspect the mine when you did, it would've collapsed on some engineers that were going to take a look at it. They're very thankful for your help."

"Apparently, you already know how my last assignment went so why even bother asking me," Ed asked sarcastically as he rolled his eyes.

Bradley laughed and purposefully patted Ed on the back. Hard. Ed gritted his teeth and winced due to the new surge of pain that shot through his body from the unwanted impact.

And Roy saw it too. _'He winced... He's sore… So… he did get caught in the collapse! Oh how I'm going to rip his ass for not telling me…'_

"Ah, always one for the jokes, aren't we, Fullmetal?" Bradley chuckled. Damn this guy was good. Screw being the Fuhrer of Amestris, Bradley should've been an actor.

Ed shrugged Bradley off and took a small step to the side. "Is there something you wanted to tell me… sir…" Ed asked with obviously forced politeness.

"Right, right…" Bradley produced a large, manila envelope from the inside of his jacket and handed it to Edward. "I have another small assignment that requires the attention of an alchemist. Unfortunately, we seem to be short on those around here in Central, so I'm glad I caught you before you left."

Ed was hesitant in taking the envelope. He seemed to be debating on whether or not he wanted to play along with Bradley's game.

"Do you have a problem with taking this mission, Fullmetal?" Bradley questioned, making the underlying threat in his tone very clear.

Ed growled and snatched the envelope. "No, sir…"

"Good." Bradley straightened up and started for the door. "Enjoy the rest of your day, my alchemists!" He called as he disappeared into the hall, leaving Roy and Ed alone with their astonishment.

Roy was the first to recover from the shock, shaking his head to clear out the fogginess in his mind. "How in the hell can that bastard look so goddamn happy when he is _literally_ the sin wrath? Oh well, it's not my place to say…" Roy noticed Ed was still spaced out and decided it was time to call the boy back to reality. "Hey, short-stuff!"

Ed's eyes widened and he twirled around, a new, very angry fire in his eyes. "What did you just call me!?"

Roy snickered and interlocked his fingers. Then he suddenly realized what just happened and he jumped from his seat. "Wait one goddamn minute! Why the hell is he giving _you _this assignment!?"

Ed raised an eyebrow and looked down at the envelope. "Even though he's out for my hide in the long run, he still has to look after the country for now and you heard him. He said I was the only alchemist around who could do it. Why? Do you feel that I am not capable of handling another assignment?" Ed added the last part sarcastically, just waiting for Roy to make some smart-ass comment.

Roy growled and snatched the envelope away from Ed. _'That bastard! We had an agreement! He promised to leave Fullmetal alone if I stayed out of his business! I haven't even had the TIME to plot against these sins! I can't believe this! I'm going straight to his office as soon as Fullmetal leaves…' _Roy paused his silent rant as a feeling started to engulf him. It was one of those - you know you've forgotten something and it's really important that you remember but for the life of you, it won't resurface in your mind - feelings.

But with enough thinking and silence, it finally came to Roy.

He turned to face Ed who looked rather irritated at the halt in their conversation. But Roy had more important things to deal with than Ed's impatience. "You have some explaining to do, Fullmetal," Roy said as calmly as he possibly could.

Ed flinched ever-so slightly at the sudden noise, then looked up at his superior officer. "Just what the hell do I need to explain?"

_'So he's going to play dumb, eh?' _Roy thought evilly. A plot formulated in his mind, and he reached out and placed his hand on Ed's shoulder. To anyone passing by, it looked like a friendly, reassuring hand on the shoulder. But Roy's intentions were slightly darker than that. He slowly began to tighten his grip, waiting for a reaction. "Oh, it was just something that Bradley did that made me think about your last assignment…" Roy's grip tightened and Ed, apparently having sensed what Roy was attempting to do, took the pain through gritted teeth.

"Oh yeah? And what might that have been?"

Roy smiled and squeezed harder. "Just something that seemed to elicit a very peculiar reaction from you…" He gave one final squeeze before Ed couldn't take it anymore.

"Hey! Get off of me!" Ed cried as he struggled out of Roy's grip. He reached up and grabbed his shoulder, rubbing it gently to rid himself of the pain. "Just what the hell was that for!?"

"You didn't tell me that the mine collapsed on _you_!" Roy snapped, letting his anger bubble over for just a few seconds.

"I was close enough to the exit that I could get myself out! It's not that big of a deal! I just got hit with a few rocks, that's all!"

"You dumbass! How could you be so careless!?"

"I was just doing that damn assignment that _you _sent me on! How was I supposed to know the whole damn thing was going to fall on top of me!?" Ed threw his arms up into the air to exaggerate his defense.

"So what other injuries do you have that I don't know about!?" Roy shouted as he glared at the boy. He saw the look on Ed's face, signaling that the boy was going to argue, but Roy wasn't going to deal with this bickering any longer. "Don't even try to lie to me, Fullmetal. Just let me see whatever injuries you have, and then I may or may not take you to the hospital depending on how severe they are."

Ed muttered a few words under his breath as he stripped himself of his jackets and undershirt. Now that his back was exposed, so was the full extent of his injuries. His whole back was covered in black, purple and blue bruises. And Roy felt a tad guilty for being so rough on the kid, but that passed quickly enough.

"There, you bastard. There are just a few bruises. I got caught under a few rocks, but it wasn't that bad so I used alchemy to get out. Are you satisfied now?" Ed questioned as he pulled his shirt and jackets back on.

_'Does he seriously think that getting caught in a mine collapse is no big deal?! Because he's an idiot if he does!' _Roy pinched the bridge of his nose and growled. He stomped back over to his mahogany desk and forcefully threw one of the bottom drawers open. "Get over here," He ordered quietly.

Ed hesitated a moment, fearing the worst.

"Get. Over. Here. Now."

This time, Ed complied. He took three long strides and ended up right next to Mustang who then proceeded to shove him down into the cushiony, leather, swivel chair. He was careful about it though, remembering that Ed's back was covered in bruises.

"Wha-" Ed began to question. He stopped short when the answer appeared before his eyes.

Roy pulled out a roll of bandages and some disinfecting spray, and seemed to have calmed down some. "I can't have you walking around with that poor of a bandaging. You'll get an infection faster than you can say gangrene and then I'll have to take your dumb ass to the hospital." Roy spoke softly and almost _kindly_ as he knelt down in front of Ed and began his work.

Ed stared blankly at Roy as the man began to gently roll up the red sleeve and carefully unwind the previously wrapped bandages. "Sorry…" Was all Ed could manage to stutter out. He cleared his throat and winced a bit from the sight of his wounds. "I should've been more careful…"

Roy was noticeably taken aback by the wound, but he opted to keep his opinion to himself and just set about cleaning it up. "Yeah, well, just don't let it happen again," He muttered, seeming more focused on the wound than the conversation. He finished cleaning the bites and scratches and applied the new dressing, feeling a little less stressed now.

Roy stood up straight and stretched his back. "There. Good as new."

Ed traced his finger along the dressings and stood up himself. "Thanks."

Roy let a small smile tug at the corner of his mouth. It was nice to see Fullmetal acting domesticated for once. "Alright, now that that's taken care of, let's look at this new assignment."

Ed picked the envelope up off of Mustang's desk and tore it open. Inside were the case file and all the information on the mission. Ed flipped the folder open and began to read through it, making small sounds of understanding or confusion occasionally. After maybe five minutes of reading, Ed closed the file and passed it to Roy.

"Apparently, there's been a series of art robberies in a town down south. The guy uses his alchemy to get in and get out without being detected by the guards. So far, he's stolen somewhere around two-hundred thousand dollars worth of art," Ed told as he watched Roy read.

Mustang didn't read the file thoroughly, so it took him less time. He snapped the folder closed and chucked it onto his desk. "He killed the last alchemist we sent after him…" Roy announced sullenly.

For a few moments, the two of them were quiet. Then, unexpectedly, Ed let out a loud, triumphant laugh. "Well I guess I'm going to have to do better than that guy! Don't you worry, colonel. I'll catch this guy in no time flat and be back here before you know it."

Roy rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "Just be careful. And if things get to out of hand, I want you to pull out. Understood?"

Ed waved him off and started for the door. "Yeah yeah. Just don't get killed. Got it."

Roy watched as Ed made his way out of the room, closing the door behind him rather loudly. Then he proceeded to let out the biggest sigh he could muster. _'That's right, Fullmetal,' _Roy thought as he resumed his paperwork,_ 'You'd better not get killed…'_

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**Yeah, a bit slow in this chapter, eh? Well, no worries! There shall be another chapter posted soon! Oh! And I have this awesome idea for a really good scene but it won't be for a few more chapters. Sorry haha. Just thought I'd torment you with that tidbit. And again, thank you so much for the support and positivity! (I think I'm in a bit of a better mood than my last update haha!)**

**Until the next chapter, my friends...**


	4. What Set Him Off

**Hey, guys! I'm so so sorry about this late update! We went down to Lake Cumberland this weekend, and I'm telling you, it is impossible to get an internet connection from our camper. And our boat broke down in the middle of the lake and guess who had to get in the water and tow it! That's right, me! Bahaha. Yeah, just had to get it to the middle of the lake so we wouldn't slam into the bank or any rocks. But other than that, the weekend was fun!**

**And you know that horrible date I told you about? Well guess what! I'm going out with the same guy again! Why? I don't really know haha. You could say I'm giving him a second chance. **

**Thank you so very very much to all of my reviewers, followers, favoriters, and all of my readers! You guys are the bomb! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood**

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**CHAPTER IV**

**WHAT SET HIM OFF**

"Excuse me," Ed mumbled as he pushed his way into the local inn. He had to resist the urge to vomit at the hideous green that covered the walls and the dusty old wood floors, tables, and basically everything else. He maneuvered his way around a crowd of large, bearded, old men that were sitting in the middle of the room, drinking away through kegs of beer… at ten in the morning…

"Excuse me!" Ed shouted, now clearly irritated at being ignored the first few times. He managed to get to the front counter, and was greeted by a young man who was cleaning out the glasses. He had black hair and shifty eyes, but had the complexion and body build of an Amestrian. Ed figured he was probably half Xingese.

Said man raised an eyebrow at the sight of Ed and set down his glass. "Say, aren't you a little young to be drinking?"

Ed twitched at the word little but decided he'd spare the man his life for today. "I'm not here for the alcohol. I was wondering if I could get a room for tonight."

The man pulled his glasses off of his face and started rubbing the lenses with his shirt. "Well… I hate to tell you, son, but most of the rooms are taken for the night. We only have a few of the luxury rooms available."

Ed smirked and started fumbling around his belt. His fingers latched on to a familiar round object and he pulled on the chain to show it to the man. "I don't think that'll be a problem."

"Well I'll be… They're giving those to children now. The military has some nerve…" The man mumbled at the sight of Ed's pocket watch. He sighed and reached behind him to grab a room key. "Room twenty-six. Name's Mike. If you need anything, just come and tell me. I'd be happy to help."

Ed gratefully took the key and started for the stairs. He was ready to sit down and relax after his all-nighter on the train. But it looks like that his rest would have to hold off for a while.

"Hey, kid!" Mike called just as Ed was starting up the stairs.

Ed sighed and made his way back to the front counter. "Yes, Mike?" Ed questioned with more of his forced politeness. All he wanted to do was take a nap. Was that too much to ask for?

"Why'd the military send you here?"

"I'm here to investigate the art robberies that have been taking place."

Mike shook his head and resumed his cleaning. "That's what I was afraid of. Didn't they tell you that the last alchemist they sent here was killed by that guy? Hell, he's so crafty that we don't even have his name. And uh… speaking of which…"

"Edward," Ed answered, figuring Mike was curious about his name. Apparently, he got it right as Mike nodded in understanding.

"Well, Edward, you be careful. I don't like the military sending kids after burglars. Especially burglars that have killed the last guy that went after them. I wish I could tell you more about the guy, but we honestly don't know much about him. He just seems to appear and disappear in all of the art galleries, and the next thing you know, some kind of painting is missing! He's a real pain in the ass!"

Ed nodded, taking whatever information he could get. He'd have to ask around town, see if anyone else had some information. But as of right now, it seemed like he was on a wild goose chase. "Well, thank you for all your help. This guy won't be a problem for this town much longer. I'll make sure to take care of it."

"Take care of it or not, I don't care. Just don't get yourself killed, alright? We already have one dead alchemist on our hands, we don't need another one. Especially a kid."

Ed muttered another thanks and hurried up the steps to the second floor, hoping he wouldn't be stopped again. Luckily, he was able to make it to his room without being interrupted, and he hurriedly rushed inside. "Whew…" Ed mumbled as he flopped onto the bed.

How this room was classified as luxury was beyond Edward's comprehension. The wallpaper was beginning to strip and the floor boards were uneven, and the whole room smelled musty. At least the sheets and bedspread seemed clean. And it was so nice to lie down on an actual bed for once… instead of trying to sleep awkwardly on a train…

Within no time, Ed had fallen fast asleep on the bed. He hadn't even managed to take his boots off before he was out like a light. All those assignments Mustang had been sending him on were really starting to exhaust Ed, and this was the first real rest he had in a while. He obviously didn't realize how tired he was, because before Ed knew it, it was early in the afternoon. He'd slept the entire day away, and was _still_ tired when he woke up.

And what may have been the most surprising part of his unexpected rest was just how truly peaceful it was. Ed didn't have a single nightmare during his rest. That was truly a rare occurrence. And Edward was grateful for every second of peace he had been able to get.

'_Damn… slept the day away… I guess I'd better get moving if I want to get any information today…' _Ed concluded as he collected himself. He let out a long, loud yawn and stretched his arms high above his head. Just as he was standing up, a knock echoed off his door. "Uh, one minute!" Ed called.

As soon as Ed re-braided his hair, he ran over to the door and threw it open. "Oh, hey, Mike…"

"Hey, kid. I was just coming to check on you. I hadn't seen you since this morning and figured you'd probably want something to eat. We're serving meatloaf today. House special."

Ed scratched the back of his neck and gave Mike a small smile. "Yeah, sure… Thanks…" He closed the door behind him and locked it before following Mike down the hall. Ed noted that Mike walked with a slight limp in his left leg, and was wearing an interesting pair of green cowboy boots.

"So you like your room? Is it warm enough for you?" Mike was truly trying his hardest to make small talk with Ed, which he would have to give props to the man for.

And Ed was truly trying to be polite and calm, although he was just itching to get out and get this assignment over with. "Yeah, it's nice. I think I like the bed the most," Ed joked. Heh, who knew he had a humorous side? "But I don't think we have to worry about getting cold. I mean, we are in the southern part of Amestris," Ed laughed.

"Yeah, I figured I'd ask anyways. Just don't want you catching a cold or something." Mike led Ed to a table and handed him a plate of meatloaf, corn, mashed potatoes, and peas. "Just leave it here when you're done and I'll have one of the boys come get it. I take it you'll be heading out to investigate or whatever when you're finished?"

"Yep. I'll try to figure something out tonight. Hell, I might even run into the guy. Wouldn't that be lucky?" Ed asked sarcastically. He took a huge gulp of his drink and looked up to Mike. "But thanks for the meal and all your help. I'll let you know if I find anything."

Mike waved goodbye to Ed and walked off. Now Ed could quickly finish his dinner and get to work. Mustang was already going to be pissed at him for sleeping away his first few hours in town. If he didn't find anything soon, Ed would be in a lot more trouble.

Ed practically inhaled his dinner, and ran out of the inn without a second thought. He made a b-line to the sheriff's office and was immediately directed to the files room. There he easily found the files to his case and began his research.

After hours of going through surveillance tapes, police reports, and eyewitness statements, Ed decided that he wasn't going to find anything in records and switched his tactics. He thanked the receptionist and made his way towards the local art museum.

There were only two places in the town with art, and both of them had been robbed multiple times. One was a gallery with local paintings and pieces from people that lived in the area. The other was a museum that had pieces from all over the world that had been created by several famous artists. It was safe to say that the robber had been visiting the museum more frequently than the gallery, considering the pieces from the museum were worth more.

So Ed opted to visit the museum, hoping to find any clues as to who was stealing the art. He didn't have much time though, considering the sun was about to set in maybe an hour. And the museum had been closing earlier than usual, wanting to keep its guests out of harm's way.

Again, Ed was greeted by a receptionist. Except, this one was more than eager to help our young alchemist with his quest for information. The man must've been at least fifty years old, but had the energy of a six year old. His hair was black with silver streaks and he had bright blue eyes.

"Why hello, son!" The older man greeted as Ed pushed his way through the revolving doors. He was nearly carried around again from the momentum he built up, but managed to push his way out in the end.

"Erm, hello. I'm Edward Elric, the state alchemist sent here to investigate the robberies. You wouldn't happen to know anything about the man, would you?" Ed asked, getting straight through the formalities and right down to business. He was still tired, and wanted to get any information as quickly as possible.

"You're the state alchemist? Aren't you a bit small to be in the military?"

Ed's left eyes twitched and he clenched his fists closed. _'The next person to call me small is going to get hospitalized…'_

The man must've noticed that Ed had taken offense to his comment, and immediately corrected it. "I meant young. I didn't think someone so _young _could be entered into the state alchemist program. It's quite a shocker."

"Yes, well, let's just say that I have skills the military deemed valuable. But that's enough about me, wouldn't you say?" Ed asked, his voice concealing just a bit of irritation from the man's small comment.

"Yes yes. Well, I wish I had a lot to tell you. Honestly, the guy has been here at least five times, but I've only seen him twice. And even then, it's only for a brief second. He just seems to randomly appear, and if he's spotted, he disappears in a flash of light. It's the damnedest thing!"

Ed nodded and looked around the room curiously. "Did you notice anything interesting about the man? Anything in particular about what he was wearing or how he looked?"

"Honestly, he was wearing all black. Black pants, black shirt, black ski mask. Except for those damn boots."

Ed's head shot up and he looked at the man eagerly. Now he was getting somewhere. "What about his boots?"

"He's wearing a pair of those hideous green boots that all the barkeepers in town wear. I have no idea why they all decided to band together and wear those monstrosities, but they do."

Ed nodded and sighed. _'Well, at least I know it's a barkeeper now… Not that it narrows the suspects down any. This town has enough bars to keep the colonel on a buzz for the rest of his manipulative life.'_

"I wish I could tell you more, I really do. I'm thinking the only thing that might help you is what the other alchemist that came here was looking at before he was killed. Speaking of which, you be careful, son. This guy obviously doesn't have a problem with killing if it means keeping his identity a secret."

"Yeah, that'd be great. Thank you, um…"

"Jasper. If you need anything is this town, you just tell them that Jasper sent you, alright? They'll take care of whatever you need."

"Thank you, Jasper." Ed bowed to show his gratitude as Jasper stood from his seat behind the receptionist's desk. He then proceeded to lead Ed to a room in the back of the museum.

When he first opened the door, it took a few good seconds for Ed's eyes to adjust. He went from the blinding, bright white of the museum to almost pitch black, with the exception of one small computer screen giving off an eerie blue light. Apparently, this was the surveillance room.

"The last thing that poor man had looked at was the security tapes of the robberies. I'm going to go close up, but you're welcome to stay as long as you like. The security guard will be just out front if you need anything."

Ed nodded and waved at Jasper as the older man made his leave. Then he swirled around in his chair to face the single computer and begin his work.

There were five tapes, so each of the robberies was captured on film. Each of them began the same: the screen would flash white and then the robber would appear right in front of the piece he would steal. He'd carefully remove the piece from its stand or place on the wall, and then either run off or in the instances where Jasper had seen him, disappear in another flash of light.

Ed watched and re-watched each recording at least ten times. Each only lasted about five minutes, which was actually a decent amount of time for a robbery to take place. They were so long because the process of removing the art was delicate and took a bit of time. He must've spent hours in that small, dark room just watching these tapes, noting each thing the burglar did.

Ed was about to give in for the night, seeing as it was around eleven, when something on the videos caught his eye. It was the boots. Now, the boots were the same green as all of the barkeepers, but there was something different about this pair. Something in the design that looked familiar…

'_Wait… I've seen those before… But where…' _Ed mused as he replayed the tape. He watched it closely until another thought struck him. _'No! It can't be… The burglar walks with a limp! And those boots! I know where I saw those boots!' _

"Mike!" Ed shouted out loud. He quickly turned in his chair and was about to fly out of his seat when something came crashing right next to his head. It was hard to see in the darkness, but he was able to catch a glimpse of a man just as he brought some weapon down towards Ed's head. Ed quickly dodged to the left which caused the lone computer to be smashed in his place.

'_I have to find the door! I have to get out of here!' _Ed thought in a panic. He quickly searched around in the dark, dodging any attacks he could. Unfortunately, a few hit him and left him dazed, but he was still able to find his way out of the room.

Just as Ed rushed through the door, he was tackled to the ground by his attacker. The man was wearing all black and those boots. And he was currently pinning Ed to the floor.

"I'm so sorry, Edward. I really didn't want to do this. I told you to be careful, but you still decided to snoop around. And I actually liked you. Unlike that last alchemist. He was terribly rude and disrespectful," The attacker told as he reached into his belt. He spoke with an eerie calmness that would make Bradley's skin crawl.

Ed was struggling under his weight, but just couldn't break free. _'Maybe I can distract him long enough to get in a hit. Then maybe I can get away…' _Ed lessened his struggles and looked up at the man holding him down. "What did you gain from stealing this art, _Mike_?!" Ed was silently hoping that it wasn't Mike. The man had been so kind and generous to him that it would be a shame for him to be the bad guy.

The attacker laughed and pulled something from his belt. "So you figured it out, eh? I'm impressed. It took the last guy a whole week to figure it out. You did it in only a few hours! It's a shame you won't get to hear any praise from your precious military…"

"Was your concern and kindness just an act!? Do you even care about this town!?" Ed cried, hoping to get away as quick as possible. The longer he was pinned down, the more likely it was that he would get injured or worse.

"Oh no, son. I honestly didn't want to see you hurt. And this town can go to hell for all I care. These people aren't exactly kind to the Xingese. I was going to make a couple million off the art and then go back to my father's home country. Which is why I can't let you live!"

Mike slowly brought the object into the light, and then made a move towards Ed. It glinted just as it came crashing down right towards Ed's face. Fortunately, he was able to jerk his head away so it only left a cut in his cheek. Mike growled and made a move to stab again, except this time he aimed for Ed's arm. But when it made contact, Ed didn't cry out in pain or struggle as Mike had expected. Hell, the kid didn't even bleed. And now his knife was bent…

"What the hell…" Mike mumbled as he stared at his knife.

Ed took this opportunity and put all of his strength into his right arm, the one that had just been stabbed. His automail arm. It collided fiercely with Mike's head, sending the man flying across the room. Ed jumped up and started for the door, hoping he'd find the security guard at the front counter. Then he'd have some help and he could arrest Mike without doing too much damage…

"You little bastard!" Mike bellowed, having recovered quickly. "You have automail!"

Ed stopped dead in his tracks and turned around slowly. "JUST. WHO. THE. HELL. ARE. YOU. CALLING. LITTLE!?"

So much for not doing too much damage.

Mike seemed to falter a slight bit, but quickly regained his composure. "Sensitive about our height, are we?"

Ed wasn't lying when he said that the next person to call him short was going to be hospitalized.

After a good ten minutes of beating the snot out of Mike, the guard finally showed up and helped Ed properly arrest the guy. Even though by then, all formalities had been thrown to the curve and Ed was just happy he got to beat the shit out of someone for calling him short. And it didn't help that he was more than a little pissed that Mike had killed the last alchemist.

And now, there was only one final thing to figure out. And it didn't take Ed long to find it.

_'It said in the report that he was an alchemist… So, what was he using his alchemy for?' _Ed wondered as he began to search the museum. It honestly only took Edward a couple of minutes to spot the transmutation marks on the ground. And he soon realized that there were sets of transmutation marks at each spot that Mike had appeared or disappeared.

Ed clapped his hands and placed them on one of the sets of transmutation marks. And just as he expected, when the floor and concrete beneath were removed, what was left was a trap door that lead into secret passages.

_'He was using his alchemy to make trap doors. That's how he would vanish so quickly. And I'm sure that flash of light was from the alchemic reaction. Nice trick…' _Ed straightened up and started out of the museum and towards the inn. He'd collect his things and catch the next train back to Central so he could report to the bastard and get back to Al as quickly as possible._ 'Mustang better damn well have something on those homunculi when I get back. He's already held Al and me up by nearly a week. And I'll be damned if he thinks he's going to send me on another assignment...'_

* * *

**Alrighty, my friends. So I had to cram this entire mission into one chapter because I just could not drag it out into two. Not my favorite but I've got a few good ones coming. It'd be great to hear what you all think and again, thank you so much!**

**Until next chapter, my companions!**


	5. What Made Him Mellow

**HOWDY, Y'ALL! Bahahaha! Dudes, it's two in the morning. Well, at least that's what time it is right now as I am writing this... Ya know, everything is funny at two in the morning. **

**Hey, guess what I found out! I actually have _less_ time during the summer than I do during school to write! I'm so busy with tennis and keeping the house clean that I have a hard time finding any free time for myself! But that's cool, because I just stay up really late hahaha... Ahhh... I need to go to sleep. **

**HEY! Guess what else! I LOVE ALL OF YOU GUYS! ALL OF YOU! EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE ARE JUST SO AMAZING! I'm sorry, I really need to sleep mwuhahahaha...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood**

* * *

**CHAPTER V**

**WHAT MADE HIM MELLOW**

That was _the longest _ten hours of Edward Elric's life. Sure, he'd been on many train rides before, and some even longer than his latest, but this train ride was just downright awful. He'd caught the midnight train back to Central, and had the intention of sleeping during the majority of the trip. He wasn't entirely pleased to find out that Mike was going to be escorted back to Central on the same train, but Ed knew he'd be in another car so there wasn't much to worry about there.

Ed had fallen asleep at the beginning of the trip, but awakened shortly after due to a nightmare about the previous night's events. He'd bolted up from his seat dripping with sweat and breathing uncontrollably. It was about that time that Ed noticed how queasy he felt.

Every time Ed would turn his head, even just the slightest, the whole room would lurch and dip in peculiar ways that defied physics. And Ed's stomach was doing somersaults. He felt like there was a circus going on inside his gut.

But the worst part was his headache. It was as if someone was drilling nonstop into his skull. With every bump the train hit, it only made Ed's headache worse.

He had expected the sweating from his nightmare to go down once he calmed some, but it never let up. He was sweating profusely, and had probably soaked his undershirt by the time he reached Central. And his breathing never really calmed down either.

Despite his sweating, Ed actually felt incredibly cold. He could've sworn that they were travelling up north near Briggs, rather than down south. His red cloak was doing nothing in the way of providing warmth, and it seemed as if he wouldn't be offered a blanket any time soon.

Ed dealt with these symptoms for nearly six hours before the train finally reached Central. He collected his bag, observed respectfully as Mike was taken to Central's hospital, and headed off towards Central Command. He couldn't wait to just lie down and rest in his own, military-issued bed.

But first, he had a report to turn in.

Ed had attempted to write out his report on the train, and eventually succeeded in suppressing his illness long enough to finish it towards the end of his ride. He'd openly admit it, the handwriting was horrible, the report was short, and the whole thing was just immaturely done. But by this point, he really didn't care. It was done and that's all that mattered. All he had to do was slam it in Mustang's face and be on his way.

That is, if he would even make it to Central Command.

His legs felt incredibly heavy, almost as heavy as his eyelids, and they almost refused to move. Ed was literally willing his way down the street. Every once in a while, his automail foot would drag and he'd nearly fall face first into the pavement, but Ed managed to catch himself before it was too late.

_'Only a few more blocks to Central Command… Then I can finally get some rest…' _Ed thought as he trudged forward.

He had taken only five more steps when his stomach did one finale of a somersault. Ed hunched over at his knees and wrapped his arms around his stomach as an intense pain ripped through his abdomen. The pain became too much and he fell to his hands and knees, trying to fight the ache off. But it was relentless, and was soon accompanied by an intense bout of dizziness.

Ed couldn't take it anymore. As soon as his vision was consumed by black spots, he gave in to the pain. He heard a few shouts and cries in the distance, but his head felt like it was stuffed with cotton, so he didn't pay much attention to it. In fact, the pain was so immense that he didn't pay attention to anything. He just gave into the hurt and fatigue, and let darkness consume his mind.

…

Roy's head shot up like a bullet as the ringing in his ear finally set something off in his brain. He shook himself out of his daze and gazed around his office.

_'Damn… it's getting harder and harder to stay awake when Hawkeye isn't here to shoot me if I'm not working. Ugh… what is that damn ringing?' _Roy thought mindlessly as he struggled to collect himself. He was rubbing the back of his neck when he realized that the annoying ringing he was hearing was his phone going off.

Roy's hand dove for the phone and caught it just as it was on its last ring. He pulled it up to his ear so quickly that he accidentally slammed it into his temple. _'Ow…'_

_ "Hello, Colonel Mustang?" _A voice on the other end of the phone asked, apparently unaware that Roy was in pain and didn't want to speak with anyone at that moment.

"Yes. This is he. What is your business?" Roy responded while rubbing the side of his head.

_"We have that burglar in custody."_

Roy rolled his eyes and sighed even though he knew the man on the other end couldn't hear or see him. "What _burglar _are you talking about?"

_"You know, that one from the assignment you sent that alchemist kid on. We're taking him to the hospital now."_

Roy jumped from his seat in pure terror. "WHAT!? What happened!? Why are you taking my alchemist to the hospital!?"

_"Oh no no no, sir. We're taking the burglar to the hospital. That alchemist of yours really did a number on the guy. He was mumbling something about 'don't call the kid short' or something. I really think that poor kid was upset about what happened to the last alchemist."_

Mustang fell back into his chair and let out the biggest sigh of relief. "Okay, good. Well, sort of good. Um, yeah, just let me know when I can come talk to him. Thanks for the call."

_"No problem, sir."_

Roy gently set the phone down on its receiver and leaned back in his chair. _'Do people enjoy scaring me like that? Do they WANT me to have a heart attack? The nerve of that guy to make me think Fullmetal was being taken to the hospital. Sheesh…' _Roy shook his head and stared at his clock.

_'Wait a minute… Shouldn't Fullmetal have called me… Well, I guess not. He never does. But wouldn't he be back by now? Knowing him, he'd take the first train back to Central. Maybe I should go check the train station…'_

Roy was just about to grab his jacket and head out when a familiar short soldier pushed his way into his office. It was the same soldier who had given Roy the note from Bradley just a few days ago. He immediately got into salute position and glanced nervously into Roy's eyes. They fell away as soon as they met the obsidian jewels.

"Colonel Mustang Sir!" The soldier announced rather loudly.

Roy growled under his breath and nodded. "Yes, what is it?"

"The Fuhrer has requested your presence! He was very urgent about this…" He added the last part quietly to the end.

_'Damn it all! What the hell does that homunculus want that's so damn urgent!? I have more important business to take care of!' _Roy nodded sarcastically and left with the soldier. "This had better be important."

"I have a feeling that it is, sir."

The soldier saluted one final time before Roy walked into Bradley's office. The familiar walls were sickening and repulsive. They reeked of deceit and lies. But Roy suppressed the urge to vomit and saluted the Fuhrer as he walked in.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" Roy asked quietly as he walked further into the room. Each step was even harder to take than the last one, just because of how repulsive that room was.

Bradley, who usually put on a fake smile whenever speaking to Roy, looked as pissed as ever.

"You've really disappointed me this time, Colonel. I thought you understood our agreement?" Bradley's words were even more cold and emotionless than usual, which was actually pretty disturbing.

Roy refrained from looking confused and kept his calm composure. "I don't quite understand, sir."

"Drop the act, Mustang. I found this-" The Fuhrer pulled a file out of his desk and threw it over to Roy while he paused, "in your office. A file composed of everything you know about us. And you gave this to Fullmetal, didn't you?"

Roy was astonished. How did they manage to find this? He had hid it so well in a secret compartment in his desk.

"I've lost my patience with you, Colonel. You're lucky I don't take your rank away."

_'Just what the hell is he planning to do!? He's lost his patience… shit! Does that mean he's going to go after Fullmetal!? Like hell! Over my dead body!' _

"Are the wheels turning in your head, Mustang? Because they should be. I want you to be nervous. I'm sick of playing this game with you. Apparently, you haven't gotten the message that I do not make hollow threats. But you continue to ignore my warnings. Now you are forcing me to take severe action."

Roy clenched his fist stared into Bradley's one good eye. "If you think that I'm going to let you anywhere near Fullmetal, you have another thing coming," He warned through gritted teeth.

The Fuhrer smiled and stood from his desk. He then slowly made his way in front of Roy and glared down at the onyx-eyed man. "You shouldn't get protective, Mustang. That only serves as a weakness." Bradley leaned in beside Roy's head and whispered into his ear. "And I'd like to see you try and stop me."

Roy was just about to snap when a gust of wind breezed past his face. A few strands of his hair also fluttered down to the floor. And when Bradley took a step away from Roy, it was revealed that his sword had been drawn.

"I'm going to take this opportunity to inform you that if this blade had been inched one centimeter closer to your head, you would be dead right now. So the next time you think you can stop me, just remember: I could've killed you without batting an eye."

_'What am I going to do… I can't kill him, that'll raise too many suspicions. But… Fullmetal…'_

"You are dismissed. Back to work now, Colonel."

Roy saluted and vanished into the hall, relieved to get out of that horrid room.

_'I guess I'll just have to watch him, and make sure I know the details of each mission he's sent on…'_

As Roy was walking down the hall, he bumped into another familiar person. He recognized that icy stare anywhere.

"Lieutenant!" Roy exclaimed, clearly overjoyed to see one of his former subordinates.

Riza put her hand to her head in a salute and stared at the colonel. "Good afternoon, sir. It's been a while."

Roy smiled and relaxed a little. He only ever saw Riza at lunch, and even then it was rare. So it was nice to see that she was in good health. "Yes it has been a while. It's difficult to keep up with my work without your… um… motivation…" Roy joked.

"Yes, well, don't fall too far behind. But I must be going, sir. Enjoy the rest of your day." As Riza walked by, she discretely held something out in her hand. Roy noticed the signal and took the contents from its original owner. As soon as Riza was gone, Roy opened his hand to reveal what was handed to him.

It was a small scrap of paper with something quickly jotted down on it.

Roy stared at it for a moment before actually reading it. But when he finished, his jaw dropped and his heart stopped. In a flash, Roy took off in a sprint and headed out of the doors of Central Command. His mind was blank, and his heart was now beating at a hundred miles a minute.

And the small scrap of paper lay discarded on the floor, its message burned into the Colonel's mind.

_-Ed at hospital. Don't have many details. Get there. Now._

…

"Good afternoon, sir, is there something I may be able to help you with?"

Roy had just thrown himself into the hospital and was greeted by an extremely kind and freakishly calm receptionist. For some reason, her calm demeanor only heightened Roy's anxiety, and he couldn't find the reasoning to calm down.

Roy looked from side to side frantically, trying to assess his surroundings. He finally decided that the woman might actually be able to help him and rushed up to the front desk.

"Is there an Edward Elric admitted here!?" Roy all but screamed. He was really losing control right now.

"May I ask your relation to the patient?"

Roy growled and nervously tapped his fingers on the counter. He didn't have time for these pointless questions. But if he didn't comply, then he'd be thrown out and he'd never get to see Ed. "I'm his commanding officer."

"I'm sorry, sir, but only family is permitted to visit the patient at this time. If you'd like, I can tell him that you came."

Roy pinched the bridge of his nose and tapped his foot impatiently. "You don't understand. His only family is six hours away and I _need _to see him." Roy let his hard, onyx eyes display just a bit of desperation in the hope that this woman who was keeping him from seeing Ed would see just how worried Roy was.

After what seemed like an eternity, the woman smiled and nodded. "I guess we can make an exception just this once. He's down the hall, third room to the left. You may need to wait a little longer. I'm uncertain if the doctor has finished with him yet."

"Thank you!" Roy called as he darted down the hall. One barrier passed, hopefully not too many more to go.

_'What the hell could've happened!? He was obviously on his way here so he couldn't have been injured by that burglar! What mess could he have gotten into in such a short amount of time!? I'm going to pummel him if he's not okay! Aw man… and how did Hawkeye hear before I did… DID NO ONE THINK TO TELL ME MY SUBORDINATE IS IN THE HOSPITAL!?'_

Roy was so deep in thought that he almost missed Ed's room. He had to do a double take just as he was passing by. He was just about to go into the room when a doctor who was walking by stopped him.

"Excuse me. May I ask who you are and what you want with this patient?" The older man clad in a white lab coat asked rather harshly. He didn't seem to be in a very pleasant mood.

"I am Colonel Roy Mustang. That boy in there is my subordinate. I was given clearance to see him," Roy answered with a bit of arrogance and attitude. He wasn't too happy with the tone that doctor was using with him.

"Oh I see. So you're the moron who sent him on that assignment. I heard all about it from the man who brought in that burglar. I can't believe someone would send a _kid _to catch a murderer. Unbelievable."

Roy could not believe the disgust laced words that were being spoken _about _him. Who was this doctor to say these things about him? But Roy had to bite his tongue and play nice if he didn't want kicked out.

"I'm assuming you are the one that treated my alchemist. May I ask what is wrong with him?" Now Roy was using some of Ed's famous forced politeness. Heh, the kid actually taught _him _something.

"Severe food poisoning. Apparently, that meatloaf was way undercooked. He'll be ready for release in just a short while."

Roy gave another huge sigh of relief and nodded. "Alright. Thank you."

"Yeah, well, I didn't do it for you. Sending a kid after a murderer. Tch. How pathetic," The doctor mumbled as he brushed past Roy, purposefully bumping into him on his way out.

Roy gave the doctor a few choice words under his breath and made his way into Ed's room. He took in the surroundings, the white walls, the single window, the medicinal smell, and the blinding white lights. It was almost disturbing, all the white. It was like they were preparing you to die…

Roy shook off the feeling and moved his attention to Ed. He expected the kid to be fast asleep and drugged out of his mind, but surprisingly, he was wide awake.

"Hey, Fullmetal…" Roy greeted quietly. He didn't have the energy to rip the kid's ass right now. He had been too stressed and too worked up and now he was just too relieved to give any lectures at the moment.

Ed looked up and tilted his head to the side. "Colonel?" He asked it in such a surprised and drawn out tone that it took Roy by surprise.

So the kid really was drugged up.

Roy smiled at the image of a loopy Ed and took a step closer to the bed. "Yeah, kid, it's me. I see you've gotten yourself into another fine mess."

Ed's eyes restricted into a glare and he made a motion like he was swatting Roy away. "Damn meatloaf was undercooked. Or at least that's what the doc said…" Ed said suspiciously. His glare lifted and he moved on to something more interesting. "Al won't be happy about this… Oh yeah! Hey, buddy, look in my jacket! I've got a present for you."

Roy eyed Ed nervously, wondering just what was in the kid's system to make him so mellow. _'Just when did I become his 'buddy'? I don't know but he's hilarious like this. Maybe I'll ask that hot nurse I saw for some of whatever they put him on. Then I'll just slip it in his drink whenever he stops by and…' _Roy stopped his evil plotting and decided to comply with Ed's request.

At first, Roy couldn't even find Ed's jacket. He had searched the entire room before noticing that Ed was giggling from his spot on the bed. Then Roy realized that Ed had hidden his jacket just to watch the colonel look like a fool while trying to find it.

'_He is awful damn lucky they've got him on drugs and he's so amusing like this. Because otherwise, I'd kick his ass.' _Roy snatched the jacket out of Ed's hand and pulled out a white envelope. "Is this what you wanted me to see?"

"Yes, sir!" Ed put on a mock salute and broke into another giggling fit.

Roy rolled his eyes and ripped it open. Inside was a short, poorly written report on Ed's previous assignment. "Your report?"

"Mhmm…"

Roy didn't bother reading it. He'd have time to do that later. Right now he had to deal with the giggling alchemist sitting before him. And Bradley's threat that lingered in the back of his mind…

"C'mon, Fullmetal. I'm taking you to your dorm. And I'll be staying there tonight as well, so you'd better get used to me." Roy gathered Ed's things, as few as there were, and helped the alchemist to his feet. He was incredibly unsteady and clung to Roy's sleeve as if his life depended on it. Roy slowly led Edward out of the room and back towards the front entrance where he signed the release papers and was given a pamphlet of instructions in case this ever happened again.

But Roy wasn't concerned with any of that at the moment. He wasn't worried that Ed had fallen asleep in the passenger's seat on their way home. He wasn't concerned about a potential relapse. And he certainly wasn't worried about how Ed was going to act when those drugs wore off… although he was certain that the shrimp would be in a _lovely _mood…

No, the only thing Roy was worried about was what Bradley had said. Those words that that bastard homunculus had spoken just wouldn't get out of Roy's mind.

"_Now you are forcing me to take severe action…"_

* * *

**Guise, I'm really psyched about this one scene that's going to come up in a chapter or two. Guise, I'm really really psyched. Hey! Hey! I thank all of you wonderful people who reviewed, followed, favorited, or read this story or any other of my stories! And, if you feel compelled to, please leave me a review! (BTW, I is not a doctor. Please excuse any incorrect medical information in this or any chapter. I just went with the flow and had to use certain things in certain ways)**


	6. What Took it Too Far

**Hm? Hello? Oh! It's you, my wonderful readers! :D Hey, hey, guess what! WE GOT A PUPPY! The little shit has kept me up all night for the past three days. And I haven't had much time to type either so I'm so sorry it's taken so long to update! I'd have to say that there isn't much action in this chapter... But there's some parentally fluffy stuff! Fluffy... I like that word. And I have a nice little tidbit about a part at the end of this chapter but I'll save that for when you've finished!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood**

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**CHAPTER VI**

**WHAT TOOK IT TOO FAR**

_It was raining. _

_ The first thing that Roy could register was the fact that it was raining. Little, ice-cold pellets pelted his face and left little splatters on his jacket. It started off slow, but gradually increased until it was almost a downpour._

_ The next thing he noticed was the cold. Not that he necessarily felt it. His body felt numb for some reason. But he knew it was cold by how the crowd was dressed. Everyone was wearing thick raincoats, and a few even had on gloves and hats._

_ The crowd…_

_ Why was there a crowd even gathered? Wait…_

_ 'Where am I…?' Roy thought. He looked around, trying to figure out what was going on. The last thing he remembered was putting the incredibly drugged up Edward to bed. Then his memory went dark and now he ended up here._

_ He was standing in a large crowd of people. And all of his men were there! Havoc stood to his right while Riza was at his left, and Breda, Fuery, Armstrong, and Falman were all standing behind them. They were wearing black… and Fuery was crying…_

_ Alphonse was there too. The rain hitting his armor created a loud echoing pitter-patter, but no one seemed to mind. The Rockbell girl was sitting next to him. She was crying her eyes out and making the most pitiful sounds. And Pinako was there as well, trying to provide some comfort to the girl._

_ Gracia and Elicia were standing over near Alphonse and Winry. Gracia was holding her daughters hand and trying to hold in tears, but was ultimately failing. _

_ There were many other people too. Some of which Roy knew and some he didn't. But what were they even gathered for? And why were they all wearing black and crying…_

_ 'A funeral…' Roy realized. He quickly bowed his head to show his respects, not wanting to seem rude around all these people. But he was still so confused. Whose funeral was it? And why wasn't Fullmetal here paying his respects? His brother and hometown friends were there, what was his excuse? Hell, even the Fuhrer was paying his respects. _

_ After a while, the crowd started to disperse. Roy's subordinates escorted Alphonse and the Rockbells away, leaving Roy and Riza alone in front of the fresh grave. But Roy still had no idea who they were mourning… Well, he'd fix that. All he had to do was read the headstone. _

_ "Sir, we should go," Riza interrupted. She grabbed Roy's arm and tugged gently, hoping he would comply. Roy turned to look at her, but he didn't expect to see a few stray tears stream down her face. Damn, this person must've been important…_

_ "Yes, just one moment." Roy still wanted to know who had made all these people upset. He knelt down in front of the grave and carefully moved the dozens of flowers out of the way. And that's when he saw it…_

_Here lies Edward Elric,_

_Fullmetal Alchemist_

_Fallen in the line of duty._

Roy shot out of the military-issued bed and stumbled over to the wall. He didn't even bother turning on a light before he ran to the room next to his. Well, it wasn't exactly _his _room, but he was using it for the night so he was claiming it.

Roy knew he'd regret doing this, but it was the only thing that was going to calm him down. He slammed his fist into the light switch which turned on a series of bright, fluorescent lights. It took a moment for Roy's eyes to adjust, but soon they could see the small lump that was Edward Elric, and he could breathe a sigh of relief. He actually went a step further and sank to the floor, his shaken legs too weak to hold him up.

The subject of his concern suddenly began to stir, signaling his awake. "What the hell is your problem, Mustang!?" Came the expected squawk from the previously sleeping boy. "It's three in the morning!"

Roy didn't care that he was currently getting his ass ripped out. He was just so relieved that Ed was sitting there, alive, and in relatively good health.

"Sorry, Fullmetal, I thought I heard something," Roy lied. He knew Edward would never let him live it down if he admitted to having a nightmare about him dying.

_Why _did he have that nightmare? Why was he having these nightmares at all? The only nightmares he ever had were about Ishval, and even those were rare. So why were these visions of Fullmetal being hurt or even killed plaguing the colonel's sleep?

Ed rolled his half open eyes and let out a loud groan, hoping to make his irritation known. "Yeah, well you're hearing things, old man. Now get out of my room before I kick your ass out." He continued to mumble rants of 'why is he even here' and 'I would've been perfectly fine on my own' but Roy ignored those words of ungratefulness.

Roy managed to gather himself and get to his feet, but before he left, he decided he'd take a detour over to Ed's bed. However, his mind was disagreeing with this decision. _'Where the hell are you going!? Just get out of the kid's room! You know he's just going to throw a fit if you don't leave… What the hell is your problem lately?' _Roy asked himself silently. But despite his mind's quiet protests, his legs continued on their path to Edward's bedside.

The kid had already thrown himself back under the covers with all but his eyes hidden. He had them squeezed closed tightly, but must've sensed Roy's presence because they shot open into an immediate glare.

"What. Do. You. _Want?" _Ed moaned. He pulled the blanket completely over his head and buried his face into the pillow. "It is three in the morning, Colonel. I don't know what you heard or why you still insist on annoying me, but please, get out."

Roy couldn't help but smile. This out-of-it, half asleep Edward was just as funny as the drugged one, but a little… _cuter. _

_ 'I've lost my goddamn mind…' _Roy thought in amusement. Then something struck him. He had this odd sense of familiarity, but didn't quite know what to place it on. He… he felt like he knew someone who would be acting like this…

"Are you feeling better?" Roy asked, now wide awake and certain that sleep wouldn't return to him anytime soon. _'If I'm wide awake, then he sure as hell is going to be awake too,' _He thought sinisterly.

Ed growled from under the blanket and sat up a moment later. "Yeah, I think the drugs have worn off. And I don't feel sick anymore."

Roy was satisfied with that answer. He could tell Fullmetal was telling the truth. But it looked like they were both wide awake now so he was going to make use of the situation.

"You know, if you would've called to tell me you were on your way back, I would've sent someone to pick you up at the train station. Then you wouldn't have had to collapse on the street."

Ed shrugged his shoulders and swung his feet over the side of the bed to face Roy better. "It was midnight when I left. There wouldn't have been anybody to answer the phone."

"You could've left a message," Roy told while forcing himself to stay calm. He really didn't want to argue with the kid at three in the morning.

Ed yawned and scratched his arm. "Yeah. I suppose. But c'mon, I still would've ended up in the hospital. Apparently, that meatloaf had some nasty bacteria in it or something."

Roy clenched his fist as the vein on his forehead began to bulge. "But I wouldn't have had the shit scared out of me if I had been called by one of my men! Instead, I have to be told through a scrap piece of paper that Hawkeye gave me! And to top it off, she didn't know what happened! So I'm thinking the absolute worst scenario possible as I'm speeding to the hospital!"

Ed stared up at the colonel with wide eyes and his mouth hanging open. He had a look that said 'I want to say something, but they haven't yet invented the words that describe what I'm thinking.'

Roy's gaze narrowed on the look on Ed's face and he arched one of his eyebrows. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

It took a good minute for Ed to recover, but when he did, he looked anxious. He even scratched his injured arm nervously. "Well… You kind of sound like…" He mumbled the final word in the hopes that Roy wouldn't hear it. And it worked.

"_Who_ do I sound like?" Roy questioned, the impatience in his voice now loud and clear.

Ed averted his gaze and looked down, almost as if he were ashamed. "You kind of sound like Hughes…"

Now Roy was the one who was speechless. He and Hughes were completely different. Hughes was the family man that always had a photo album of his daughter and wife on hand and ready to show to everyone in the world. Roy was the cold-hearted bastard that snorted at the notion of a family. Hughes was the one who was always asking about your health or how your day was going. Roy was the man who didn't give a shit… or at least that's how he thought Ed saw the two of them.

He had never thought that Ed would think of him being even remotely similar to Hughes…

Because Hughes was the one who always _openly_ cared.

"I'm sorry…" Ed mumbled quietly, "I… I just thought that you saying you were scared… for me… Well, that sounded like something Hughes would have said."

Roy finally recovered and collected his thoughts. And then he did something that he didn't often do. He smiled a genuine smile of happiness. "Don't be sorry. I'm actually quite honored. Hughes was a good man, and to think that _you,_ of all people, are saying that I'm somewhat like him is… nice."

Ed laughed and yawned again. "Yeah, well don't let it go to your head. You're still a bastard."

Roy rolled his eyes playfully and ruffled up Ed's hair. "Get some sleep, Fullmetal." Roy started to walk away and was just reaching for the light switch when an already half-asleep Edward stopped him.

"Thanks for worrying, colonel…"

…

When the following morning came and Roy was on his way out of the Elric's dorm, Edward insisted that the night's conversation never be repeated to any living person, including the two of them. Roy had guessed that Ed would request something like that, so he quickly agreed. And after making sure one final time of the boy's health, he said his goodbye and wished him well and good health during his journeys in Briggs. Of course, it hadn't been near as formal as that, but some things are better left un-described.

But Roy just could not shake the anxious feeling that had crept up inside of him over the night. He was still worried about what Bradley was going to do. The man had said that he'd lost his patience. That meant that either Ed was in for one hell of a beating, or Roy was going to get punished in some other manner. But what could he do? Something in the back of his mind was telling him that if he told Ed about his and Bradley's agreement, somehow, some way, the Fuhrer would know. And that meant 'immediate termination of the boy's life.'

Roy wished he could see Edward off, just to make sure he actually made it on the train and was out of the hellhole that was Central. But he knew that he needed to be at work on time to catch up on all the work he'd been putting off. Well, at least the drive to Central Command was quiet. Roy was lucky enough to avoid any and all traffic, and he got great parking too.

But that's where his luck ended.

You would not believe the stacks of paperwork that had piled up on Mustang's desk! It was a mountain of papers that rivaled the magnitude of Brigg's Fortress! Roy could've cried when he saw all those papers, but he knew it was either sign them and get it over with, or get shot by Hawkeye. Even though she wasn't under his command anymore, somehow, she would still know if he didn't do his work.

Roy spent the next four hours signing papers without a single break or disturbance. He spent the entirety of the morning locked in his room with the door closed. No one came in and no one came out. He'd actually made an impressive dent into the mountain, but by lunch time, his hand was cramping so badly that he didn't think he could do much more. He was thankful for the break. That is, until he stepped out into the hall.

Immediately, the atmosphere thickened, and became tense. The air was so thick with some unseen anger that you could've cut it with a knife.

And it hit Roy like a bullet. It was so sudden and unexpected… and _intense_. He figured he'd find Hawkeye pointing her gun at another soldier when he entered the Mess Hall, but he honestly didn't find anything out of place. Except, now he noticed something new.

The hatred, the anger, the tense feelings, they were directed towards him. Holy Hell! Every single person in that building was _glaring_ at _him_! Even the lowest ranking soldiers dared to stare directly into Roy's eyes with a look of disgust and disapproval.

And Roy had no idea what he'd done wrong!

Even the cooks had served his food angrily. They slopped the food on his plate, sending splatters of tomato sauce in every direction. He was lucky to make it out of the line with his uniform clean.

And he was still receiving these looks even as he ate. The entire room was dead silent, and only the sound of chewing and clinking silverware broke through the quiet. By the end of his meal, Roy was so fed up with the stares that he couldn't take it anymore. He stood up and stomped over to the garbage can where he disposed of his leftovers and put up his tray. He was just about to leave when something stopped him.

"Bastard…" One of the soldiers muttered through the silence.

Roy lost it. The only person allowed to call him a bastard was currently on his way to Briggs.

He turned around and shot glares at everyone in the room. Then he took a step further into the room and cleared his throat. "I want the soldier who just called me a bastard to stand up and face me."

Well, he got what he asked for. An average looking soldier with brown hair and glasses stood up and slowly approached Roy. When they were face to face and less than a foot apart, the tension in the air became so intense that people actually took a few steps away from them.

Roy narrowed his glare and leaned in closer to the MP standing before him. "Alright, soldier, why don't you repeat yourself? Except, say it to my face like a real man."

The soldier straightened up and leaned in really close to Roy's face, as if he were mocking him. "I called you a bastard," He whispered with a smirk.

Roy nodded and took a step back. "Yeah, that's what I thought." In one swift movement, Roy grabbed the collar of the MP and reared his fist back, having every intention of knocking the soldier's lights out in one hit. But just as he was going to follow through with his plan, a familiar sound filled his ears. Roy looked over his shoulder to see Riza giving him an equally cold death glare as the rest of the room, while also pointing her infamous gun at his head.

"Colonel, I need to have a word with you," She announced without lowering her weapon.

_'Just what the hell did I do that pissed everyone off so much!? Even Hawkeye wants to kick my ass apparently! Well, never disobey her… especially when she has that damn gun out…' _Roy wondered nervously. He let go of the soldier and nodded. "Yes, lieutenant?"

Riza finally put her gun away and motioned for Roy to follow her into the hall. And anyone who may have been in that particular hallway must've seen them coming, because they ran for the hills to avoid being either shot or burned.

As soon as they were definitely alone, Roy nearly exploded. "Just what the hell is going on this building!? Why is every single person out for my hide!?"

Riza looked from left to right then leaned in to whisper. "Bradley called Edward in this morning. I wasn't supposed to hear anything, but I wasn't about to leave Edward alone with him so I was eavesdropping. He gave Ed an assignment behind your back, sir."

As if Roy wasn't steaming as it is. That bastard had some nerve to send Fullmetal on a mission without Roy's knowledge.

Riza didn't avert her gaze once as she continued. "Sir, he told Edward to tell anyone who asked him about the mission to say you sent him on it."

"Alright. But I don't understand why everyone is so pissed about it. What the hell kind of assignment did he send him on?"

It wasn't often that Riza hesitated, but the fact that it took her an extra moment to give the answer was nerve racking as hell for Roy.

"Sir, he sent Edward on the Staron Case…" She informed regretfully.

Roy's eyes widened and he stumbled backwards a few steps. "T-the Staron case? You're kidding, right!?" He gasped. This was his worst possible nightmare coming to life right before his very eyes. He must've misheard Hawkeye. Not even Bradley would do something so stupid as to send Edward on the Staron Case.

"I am completely serious, sir. Edward's train left about two hours ago. If you hurry, you can catch the one o'clock train."

She was serious. Holy shit, she was serious. Edward was on a train, right now, headed out west to investigate the Staron Case. Roy didn't even have the frame of mind to be pissed at Bradley. Right now, his only concern was getting on that train and finding Edward. He could give Bradley what he deserved after he was certain that Edward was safe.

Roy nodded and was about to take off in a sprint when Riza stopped him. "Sir, don't come back here without Edward… And he'd better be alive."

Roy nodded again and somehow managed to get some words out of his mouth. "I wouldn't think of coming back without him, lieutenant."

And Roy meant it. Because if he had to come back to Central without Fullmetal, he'd make sure that Bradley's last breath was filled with fire and smoke.

And Roy would definitely make certain that Bradley would regret ever sending Edward on the Staron case.

Because that was taking the threat too far.

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**Okay, so I came up with the name Staron because that's my mom's maiden name and I shit you not, there is an honest-to-god crazy gene running through my mother's side of the family. So yeah, I figured I'd use this to my advantage. MWUHAHAHAHA!**

**(And no worries, I give details on the Staron Case in the next chapter :D)**

**Anyways, thank you all so so so much! All of your reviews were absolutely wonderful and make me so happy! **

**Until chapter 9, my brosephs.**


	7. What Gave Him Hope

**Well hiya, guys! It's so awesome to see you all again! WITH A NEW CHAPTER! EEEEEEEEEEEEK! Guise, I haven't slept for days. The puppy won't leave me alone long enough for me to get some sleep haha. Oh well, she's cute. I guess that makes up for it.**

**Hey, haha... ha... haaa... Sorry about the cliffy-ish chapter. I know I didn't explain the Staron Case, but I did that for suspense. I wanted to get the wheels turning in your guys' minds haha! But, nevertheless, I HAVE THE INFORMATION YOU'VE BEEN SEARCHING FOR! Yeah, I'm not too fantastic at explanations, but it gives you an idea... I hope...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood**

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**CHAPTER VII**

**WHAT GAVE HIM HOPE**

The Staron Case.

The Staron Case was the ultimate case for alchemists. It was one of the most famous cases in Amestris. Everyone from border to border knew about this legendary case, and the tale on how it began as well. It made for one hell of a bar story.

Jeremy Clifford was a well known state alchemist who was praised for his ability to transmute plants. He had been assigned to help the people out west with their crops, which had been dying from drought. He had done this type of assignment many times before, and this one was no different. Except, on one of the fields he'd been sent to help, he encountered a farmer by the name of Jack Staron.

Jack Staron was the farmer who owned Gambling Acres, the fields that Clifford was working at. And it was well known that Jack had always strongly opposed the military. So when a _state_ alchemist appeared on his doorstep, he was more than a little upset. It began as just a pissing match over who could shout louder. But when Clifford threatened to take away Staron's farm, all hell broke loose.

The story goes that Jack ran into his house and grabbed his shotgun, and then proceeded to fire at Clifford. And Clifford, of course, being a man of war, immediately took defensive actions. He took cover and used his alchemy to restrain Staron.

The next part is truly the controversial part of the legend. If you ask the majority of the people in the west and south, they claim that Clifford took the gun away from Staron and shot the farmer in cold blood. If you ask anyone in the east or north, they say that Staron shot himself with the intentions of dying with his farm. Either way, the conflict ended with Gambling Acres going to the military and a dead farmer on Clifford's hands.

But that's only the beginning of the story. The actual case involves Jack Staron's son, Rob Staron. At the time, Rob had just been a little boy, no older than ten. His mother had left the two males when Rob was just a baby, so it was only him and his father at the farm. And after the incident involving Clifford, Rob just seemed to disappear for the next few years.

Things were quiet in that small western town for about ten years. Then suddenly, a state alchemist turns up dead without a single hint as to who had been the murderer. At first, the military didn't think much of it. A lot of people don't like state alchemists. It's not all that rare to have one killed just out of spite. Time went on and another few months later, the military had to send another alchemist into the town. A few days passed, and he turned up dead as well. He was shot in the chest, just like the last alchemist.

Now the military was scratching its head. Two dead alchemists, both of them killed the same way, and still no clue as to who had performed the act. And the only similarity between the two victims was their hair color.

By this point, the military had two options. One, keep sending in alchemists in the hopes that it won't happen again or two, send in a few alchemists with different traits and see if a certain one is killed.

It's safe to say that the military chose the latter.

They let a few months pass and then chose two alchemists. Both of Amestrian ancestry, and both of the same stature and title. The only difference was one of the men had brown hair and the other had blonde.

With their test subjects chosen and the plan written out, the military sent the alchemists into town.

Nobody heard from the alchemists for a whole week after they came into town. Then, unexpectedly, one of the alchemists turns up at a hospital out west. He kept saying that he was spared his life because he couldn't have been the man the murderer was looking for. At the end of the experiment, the brown-haired man had been allowed to live, while the blonde was killed.

Now that the military had all the pieces, all that was left was to solve the puzzle. It wasn't long before everything came together. All the victims were state alchemists, blonde males, and were shot in the chest, _which_ was the same exact area that Jack Staron had been shot in.

It was undeniable. Rob Staron was back to avenge his father's death. He assumed every blonde alchemist needed to die for Clifford's mistake, and shot them where his father's fatal wound had been.

Whenever a state alchemist was sent out to that western town, if he was any other hair color other than blonde, Rob would stay in hiding and no one could find the guy. But if the alchemist was a blonde, he was killed. It never failed, and continued indefinitely as the military sent in their alchemists.

This was the famous Staron Case. The case feared by all state alchemists.

And this was the case that Edward Elric, Fullmetal Alchemist, a_ blonde_, had been sent on.

…

_'Dammit, shit, dammit, shit, dammit, shit…' _Roy thought furiously as he tapped his fingers on the table in front of him. His silent curses synched with the clickety clack of the train wheels on the track, which was just about enough to drive him over the edge.

Roy stared out of the window, feeling more and more anxious with each passing mile. His whole body was tense, and he just couldn't sit still. It had been a twelve hour train ride, and he hadn't slept once. His mind was just too worked up. And when the only thing there was to do was sit and wait, the mind tends to wander.

_'That god damn, fucking, bastard sin!' _Roy silently ranted. He gritted his teeth and growled quietly under his breath._ 'Fuck the government! Fuck the threats and regulations and all of this shit! I don't give a shit if I get thrown in prison! I'm murdering that goddamn sin if it is THE last thing I ever fucking do! Fuck being Fuhrer! If becoming Fuhrer means that I can't kill that bastard, then the dream can go to hell!'_

Roy was having a hard time keeping his anger in check, and it was taking every last ounce of willpower to not beat the shit out of the conductor for making Roy wait so long. It was too overwhelming knowing that Edward was basically on a suicide mission. And Roy felt guilty. If he had simply followed Bradley's orders and not given up any information on the homunculi, Ed would be safe and sound up at Briggs with his suit of armor for a brother.

_'Damn bastard and his low tolerance level… There was hardly any information in that file! But he acted like I had a fucking how-to guide on killing their asses!' _

Roy was so busy being worried and pissed off that he didn't notice the train pulling into the station. The colonel slammed forward in his seat as the train came to an abrupt halt, and he quickly jumped into the aisle and hurried for the exit.

Roy shoved the other passengers out of his way as he rushed off the locomotive. He didn't have time to be polite or wait for others to move out of his way. Every second that passed was another second that Ed's life was in danger. And Roy was not about to allow one measly extra second slip through his grip.

But this was going to be more difficult than he first thought. It was one in the morning after all. And Roy was drained. Sleep was as valuable as gold to him, and he'd take whatever he could get.

_'Even murderers need to sleep…' _Roy concluded as he traipsed into the nearest inn. He didn't bother with absorbing the details or memorizing any of his surroundings. He simply got a room and melted into the bed, knowing that he would have to wake up early in order to find Edward.

And wake up early he did. After an astonishing four hours of sleep, Roy rolled out of bed and practically rocketed into town. He was not wasting any time whatsoever. First he'd check all the inns and hotels and try to find which one Ed was staying at. Then he'd see if anyone around town had seen a short blonde kid with a red jacket…

Roy sighed and rubbed his face. _'This town is too big… I'll never find him in time.' _The colonel looked out at the city line, slightly disturbed by the brown haze that hovered in the thin light. He watched the sun rise for just a few minutes, letting the view fill him with at least a little hope.

"Get it together, Roy…" Roy muttered quietly to himself. Said man picked up his pace and began his search. Unfortunately, there was never a pattern to where the state alchemists were murdered; it was just always in the city. Which meant more searching for Roy…

_'What the hell kind of assignment was he even sent on?' _Roy wondered as he started down the street. He shoved his hands into his pockets and slumped his shoulders just a bit, realizing that a confident posture was unnecessary when no one was around to see you. _'You know, maybe I'll get lucky and just run into the kid on the street. Tch, who am I kidding? The only kind of luck that I have is shitty luck.'_

Roy veered to the right and pushed his way into another local inn. Again, he ignored any and all details about the building. This was trivial information. Information that was virtually worthless to his current quest.

"Can I help you, sir?" A burly woman behind the front counter asked.

Roy couldn't help but notice that the woman was wearing a shirt just a bit low-cut for her chest size. The colonel had a hard time tearing his gaze away from the sight, but the mental image of a wounded Edward was enough to get him back on track.

"Yes, please. I'm looking for a boy with blonde hair. It was probably in a braid. And he was probably wearing a red cloak as well. His name is Edward Elric."

The woman rested her elbows on the counter and leaned forward, taunting Roy's eyes yet again. "I'm sorry, doll, but I haven't seen anyone like that around here. But you know, if you're looking for a busty woman with excellent cooking skills, I might be able to help you out."

Roy nervously rubbed the back of his neck and began to sweat. "Uh, that's okay. I'm really just looking for the kid. But uh, thanks for your help!" Roy called as he ran out of the inn, breathing a sigh of relief when he finally reached a safe distance from that woman.

A gust of wind blew the hair from Roy's eyes, and he looked down the road ahead of him. _'One place down, only a few dozen more to go…'_

…

After visiting literally two dozen more inns and other random locations in the city, Roy came to the conclusion that he was never finding his subordinate. Not one single damn person that Roy spoke to had seen a blonde kid with long braided hair and a red cloak. Just how the hell do you go to a town and not be seen by one single person? Roy didn't know, but he was certainly pissed that that's what had happened.

_'C'mon, Fullmetal, just give me a sign. I come all the way out to this godforsaken town just to find your dumb ass, but no one knows where you're at. Just quit hiding already so I can make sure that you're alive.' _

Roy had begun his search at six in the morning, and it was now one in the afternoon. And he still had yet to find someone who knew where Ed was at, let alone his actual subordinate. And to top it all off, it was hotter than hell out. So it was easy to assume that Roy was in a pissy mood.

Said man in said mood decided it was a good time to grab something to eat. Food would help. He hadn't eaten since the previous night, so food would put him in a better mood. Although, stopping to rest allowed Roy's mind to wander, which was never a good thing.

_'Maybe Fullmetal isn't even out here. The kid may have just disobeyed Bradley altogether. If he did, then I'm going to burn his ass to a crisp for making me worry. But Fullmetal wouldn't disobey while Bradley has that Rockbell girl in his grasp. Shit, that means he has to be out here. But just why the hell hasn't anyone seen him? Am I not looking in the right part of town? Or am I just asking the wrong people?'_

Roy stared at his glass of lemonade with a solemn look on his face. He simply gazed at the liquid as if he were mesmerized by the floating ice or condensing droplets on the outside of the glass.

_'What if Staron already got him… Maybe he never made it to an inn or a hotel… Maybe he's already dead…'_

Roy's eyes narrowed on the glass and he couldn't help but feel some anger towards the liquid. It had such an easy purpose in life. All it had to do was stay cold and wet and it soon would be depleted, having served its purpose.

Now this was completely misdirected rage, but Roy slammed the back of his hand into the glass and knocked it off the table, letting it smash to the floor. He left some cash on the table and stormed out of the small café, feeling even more pissed than when he had entered. He'd been searching for hours nonstop and still hadn't found any information regarding his subordinate whatsoever. It was painstaking work because with each failed attempt at information, the hope of finding him before it was too late dimmed just a little.

It was almost to the point of unbearable.

And Roy still had no idea why he felt so worried for the little brat. Just thinking about the kid made him angry. The two of them never got along, and had absolutely no positive aspects in whatever the hell kind of relationship they had. Edward was simply Roy's subordinate. His employee. He would never be anything more than a dog on his leash.

Or so Roy wished it would be. He desperately wanted to say that Fullmetal was nothing more than his subordinate… but he knew that would be a lie. Because deep down inside, some dormant paternal instinct had been awakened and was now constantly plaguing the colonel's mind with worry and anxiety over the boy.

Dammit, Roy cared about the kid. And there was no way he could deny it. From the first day he saw the fire behind the gold, Roy had felt some sort of unnerving protectiveness for the blonde.

Somehow, someway, Roy had been forced into the position of guardian to the boy. Although, he'd never admit it. And he was certain that Edward would never admit it either. But there was some sort of unspoken pact between the two. Roy would watch over Edward and make sure he kept the promise he made to his brother, and Edward would try his absolute hardest to stay alive and keep those same promises that he made.

But both of them were failing to keep up their end of the silent pact at this moment. Edward was missing, possibly dead, and Roy wasn't protecting him like he'd promised. Something needed to change. Something needed to give… because this couldn't keep up much longer.

Edward had people who needed him. The Rockbells, his teacher, all of his friends in the military. Hell, _Roy _needed him. The kid kept him young and on his toes. And not to mention that Roy would probably drink himself into a coma from guilt if anything ever happened to Ed.

Roy picked up his pace almost to the point of running as he began to swerve through the streets. He needed to find the kid and fast. It was already too much for him. The guilt, the anger, the hopelessness: it was all overwhelming. He needed to see the fiery eyes, the golden hair, and that damn red coat. But he didn't only _need_ to see Ed, he _wanted _to see Ed.

The kid meant more to him than he'd ever realize. And it was painstaking to watch him be constantly injured nearly to the point of death time and time again.

Roy made the last-minute decision to go into the local pharmacy, hoping that he'd find his clue there.

"Excuse me," Roy announced as he approached the front counter. There was a man sitting behind the register with a very bored look strewn across his face. He had a fan pointed directly on his face, but was still dripping with sweat. Not that that was any different from any other person in the town. They were all hot and sweaty. Hell, _Roy_ was hot and sweaty. And he dealt with fire on a daily basis.

The man opened one of his eyes and glanced at Roy. "Well I'll be damned… Second military man to come through here in one day. Well, I wouldn't call the first guy a 'man' per say… Anyways! How may I help you, sir?"

Roy practically jumped over the counter as this information made its way into his brain. "Another soldier came in here earlier today!?"

The man scratched the side of his head and looked up. "Well, he was a state alchemist. I'm pretty sure that makes him a soldier."

Roy was almost drooling over this information. He could practically see Edward right now. "Was he a short, blonde kid!? Probably wearing a red jacket! C'mon, man, spit it out already!"

"Whoa! Relax, buddy! Yeah, that kid was in here earlier. About midnight. He was saying something about his ports being sore and he bought some oil. What about him?"

_'That's Fullmetal! He saw Fullmetal! He made it into town! He was alive eighteen hours ago! That means he's still somewhere in this damn town!'_

"Hey, do you think that kid will be killed by that one murderer? I was worried when he told me he was a state alchemist, but then he kept saying that he wouldn't let some dumbass finish him off before he fulfilled a couple of promises. But I figured you guys sent him here with backup, right? You can't just send a kid on a mission like this without backing him up."

Roy nodded and took a deep breath. He needed to collect himself so he could get as much information as possible. "You wouldn't happen to know where he went, do you?"

The man raised his eyebrow and seemed to be in deep thought. "I think, and I'm really unsure, but I _think_ he said something about staying at the old bed and breakfast uptown. It's a really small joint that an old woman runs. You'll know it when you see it, trust me."

Roy grabbed the man's hand and shook it furiously with both of his. "Thank you so much! You're assistance is greatly appreciated!"

The man was left shaken in his boots from the friendly gesture and watched in amusement as Roy ran out of his little pharmacy, apparently overjoyed about something.

And Roy was practically on a high. He could see the light of hope again. He had information. Valuable information. He could do it. He could find Ed before it was too late. It was possible. He was hot on the trail. He could do it.

He could, and he would do it.

Roy was going to find Ed.

Because he could now see the light of hope once again.

* * *

**Yikes! Ahh, I love giving people a sense of false hope... WAIT! I didn't say that! Sshhhh! Hahahahahaha... I love you guys so much! Hey, hey! Thank you, everyone! Serious, all of you guys! If you are reading this, I am thanking YOU! And all of my absolutely fantastic reviewers, followers, and favoriters!**

**Until chapter 8, my friends! (Yeah, I don't know what I was thinking when I wrote "Until chapter 9" on the end of the last chapter lol. It was late. And my mind wasn't working properly haha)**


	8. What Made His Heart Stop

**YOU GUYS! DO YOU GUYS KNOW HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU ALL? I DON'T THINK SO! I LOVE ALL OF YOUR REVIEWS SO MUCH! Seriously, I get the nicest reviews from you guys. They really do mean the world to me. **

**I feel as if I had something important to tell you all, but I can't quite remember at the moment. So on with the show! (xxx breaks the story into flashback)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood**

* * *

**CHAPTER VIII**

**WHAT MADE HIS HEART STOP**

"Why hello, dear! How may I help you?" An elderly woman rocking in her chair inquired as Roy threw himself into the small inn.

Roy bent over at his knees and panted like the dog he was. It had been a _very_ long run from the downtown area all the way up to the northern part of the city. He hadn't realized just how expansive the western city was and had made the poor decision to _run_ all the way across town. He could've caught a cab, but he was so worried about Ed that the thought hadn't crossed his mind.

After catching his breath and straightening back up, Roy was finally able to speak to the woman in front of him. "Ma'am, I am trying to find Edward Elric. I was given information that claimed he was staying at this inn. I was hoping you would be able to confirm this."

The woman rocked back and forth in her chair distantly, almost as if she hadn't heard a single thing that Roy said. He was just about to tell his story once more when the woman finally spoke up.

"He was a short kid with blonde hair?"

Roy nodded furiously and ran up to the woman. "That's him! So he is staying here?"

"He is indeed. Poor boy came in at midnight yesterday looking half asleep and starved. I swear, I would never let one of my grandchildren get as skinny as that boy. He looked like he hadn't eaten since…"

As the elderly woman continued her rant on how thin Ed was, Roy was carefully calculating his plot in his head. He needed to ask the right questions so he could get as much information as possible in the shortest amount of time.

After a five minute rant on the thinness of his subordinate, Roy finally had his questions lined up in a perfect order. Every breath had a reason and every word would ensure that he got as much information as logically possible.

With his questioning plan set in his mind, Roy blurted out his first question. "Did he say where he was going!?"

Well, that had gone off the tracks and plunged into the abyss of unprofessional babbling. So much for his well thought out plan. His mind had been in the game, but apparently, his mouth wasn't even playing.

The woman smiled and nodded. "He left around eight this morning. Said he was going to investigate the warehouse district. I tried to tell him that it wasn't safe in that part of town, but he wasn't much one for listening. Stubborn boy, he is."

Roy laughed wickedly and bowed gratefully to the elderly woman. "Thank you so very much, ma'am! I owe you my life for this!" Roy was already running for the door when the woman shouted to grab his attention.

"Please, sir! Do wait a minute! That boy, he said that if he wasn't back here by eight o'clock tonight that I should call a Colonel Roy Mustang and that he'd know what to do. That boy isn't in any kind of danger, is he?" The woman asked with an incredible amount of concern written all over her face. Roy could tell she was nervous. It would be eight soon, and Ed still wasn't back. Anyone who actually cared would be nervous.

"No, ma'am. Not anymore. I'll make sure of that." Roy spoke with such confidence and optimism that it was hard to believe he was ever worried in the first place. It was a rather impressive feat.

As Roy made his leave, the woman called out to him one more time. "Please do make sure that boy is safe, Colonel Mustang."

Roy nodded without turning around. He was impressed that she figured out who he was, but he didn't have time to dwell on it. He just promised this nice old woman that Ed would be safe and sound. And who can break a promise they make to a kind elderly lady?

And so Roy was off. That first dash all the way to the northern end of the city had killed a good two hours. And that didn't even include the time Roy spent trying to find the old inn and speaking with the woman. It was now around seven in the evening. The sun was beginning to lower, and it would soon hide behind the horizon, letting the darkness of space engulf the Earth.

Again, Roy didn't take the time to map out a plan. Instead, he went with his gut instinct and _ran_ all the way to the warehouse district. It hadn't been as far as a run, but it was still a haul. Halfway there, he realized he should've hailed a cab but his legs just would not stop running. At least all this running was burning off some of his nervous energy. He'd be able to think more clearly if he encountered Staron or any other trouble.

But he prayed. He prayed and prayed to a being he didn't believe in that it wouldn't come to that. Because if Roy ran into Staron, then that meant he was too late and Ed was either dead or pretty close to it.

And with the running came the freedom for his mind to wander. And wander it did.

_'How did all my hard work lead to a situation like this!?' _Roy thought in utmost dissatisfaction.

Roy had never intended for this to happen. He had a plan from the start, and stuck to it with utmost dedication. He never strayed, never differed. And he never imagined that some hot-tempered pipsqueak would ruin it all.

Roy knew he was ruined. He knew that Bradley would either fire or kill him for going after Ed. And both of those scenarios meant that he could never become Fuhrer and turn Amestris into a democracy.

_'Damn it all to hell!' _Roy thought furiously. He had thrown everything away, just to save some kid. Some kid that he hardly knew anything about…

And yet, he felt as if he already knew too much.

Just knowing about the failed human transmutation was a lot of information for any person to know about another person. And to throw it on top, Ed had lost everything because of it. He lost his brother's body, and became a metal-flesh hybrid himself.

That was a lot of information to know about one person.

But that was only the outer layer.

Roy knew so much more about the short blonde. He knew the heartbreaking past, the endlessly hopeless present, and the hope for a future that may never even come. He knew the pain Ed felt from always going on false leads. Roy knew Ed would try to hide the disappointment and anger, but he could still always see beyond the mask. Sometimes, it hurt Roy to be able to see behind the mask.

Because that mask hid some disturbing things.

Even though there was an ever-burning fire in the boy's golden eyes, there was also a subtle, yet undeniable darkness. A darkness created from sin and grief. A darkness forged from failure and pain. A darkness that seemed would never go away.

But Roy knew that with enough time and with the right people, the darkness could burn away and the fire would burn brighter than ever before.

Yes, Roy Mustang had thrown away his entire career and potentially his life just to save some kid. A kid he knew too much about. A loud-mouthed, hot-tempered, fiery-eyed kid. A kid he _cared _for more than he'd ever want to admit.

And so Roy found himself racing against the clock in order to save this one kid. He remembered asking himself if this one kid was really worth it. If one kid was really worth risking everything, even the well-being of every citizen in Amestris.

He couldn't believe he actually asked himself that. Because now, while running all over a hot western city, he immediately knew the answer was yes and would never even ask that in the first place.

As deep and dark as Roy's thoughts were, he was grateful for them. It made running less of a task and he felt as if he reached the warehouse district even quicker than he expected. Although it was already around eight when he arrived.

Dark had begun to settle over the city and the only light that was left was a thin line hovering just over the horizon. It was a bright, cool night and the full moon lit up the path as Roy ran through the alleys. With every building he came to, he would throw himself through the door and search the entire building, head to toe.

And he searched _every _building. Every single last building had turned up empty with the exception of the occasional shipment that was waiting to be loaded into trains or onto ships.

And now, the only thing that Roy could resort to was running. He was going to be so sore tomorrow from all the running, but it was his only option. His only hope that Ed was running through the abandoned alleys and streets, probably fending off the man with a need for vengeance.

…

The _pain_ coursing through every single nerve in Ed's body was beyond comprehension. His legs were screaming at him to stop and rest, and the rest of his body was begging him to just give up and admit defeat. But that was not the Edward Elric way, no matter how intense the pain.

He knew he was bleeding, but he couldn't be sure how much. That pain in his left shoulder had fizzled away from a severe burning to a tingling numb. But Ed was pretty sure that blood still trickled in a continuous stream from the wound. And the same thing could be said about the hole in his leg. Ed knew he was losing a lot of blood, but he still willed himself forward.

He hardly remembered what had happened to him. He'd left the inn early that morning, and while he was investigating a suspicious shipment of sneakers, he was attacked. And whoever did it knew what they were doing too. Ed had been hit so hard on the head that he actually found a knot where the impact point had been. Hell, his head was _still_ fuzzy from the blow, even as he ran for his life.

Anyways, Ed had slowly and _painfully _woken up to a gag in his mouth and a couple of ropes tied tightly around his body and arms, binding him to an old wooden chair. After sitting in his own gagged silence for nearly three hours, he was greeted by a tall, fit, brown-haired man with deep green eyes and a fantastic smile. It was really creepy, being kidnapped by such a handsome man. He looked like a real family guy. Like someone who could be the heartthrob of every bar scene in the city.

It was almost sad.

**xxx**

_The man pulled a chair in front of Ed and took a seat before carefully removing the gag. Ed was just about to spew out a few select slurs on what he thought about being tied up by some stranger when the man pulled out a pistol. He quickly connected the end of the nozzle with Ed's forehead which instantly shut him up. _

_"Ahhh, so you are the famous Fullmetal Alchemist. I am quite honored to meet you, Edward Elric," The man greeted with a smile, not bothering to remove the gun from Ed's head._

_ "I'll take it that you are Rob Staron? The guy who keeps killing blonde state alchemists, right?" Ed questioned with his usual fierceness and bite. He wasn't about to let some psychopath control how he spoke._

_ "Oh you do know me! This is very excellent! So you know my story as well I take it?" Staron was way too overjoyed that Ed knew who he was. It was just too creepy._

_ "Yeah. Your father tried to resist some state alchemist who was just helping with the drought problems and he ended up killing himself when he was caught, right? Yeah, it's a pretty pathetic story," Ed taunted. He never knew why he loved getting on the nerves of people who were threatening his life, but he did, and it was a wonderful feeling. _

_ It's safe to say that Staron was not amused with this mockery. He forcefully slapped Ed's face with the heavy metal gun and left Ed with a busted lip and bruised cheek. _

_ "Be mindful of what you say, boy. My father was a great man, and he'd never kill himself. It was that damn Clifford who killed him. And did you know that the only thing I can remember about the man is his hair? It was as yellow as the sun and burned almost as brightly. But don't ask me about his eyes or skin, because I couldn't even give you a best guess."_

_ Staron reached out with his unoccupied hand and began to stroke Ed's hair, causing Ed to squirm under the unwanted touch. He was quickly corrected with the gun yet again and stopped resisting. _

_ "Ahh, my father was a great great man," Staron reminisced in a star-gazing way. He mainly stared at the ceiling, but would occasionally look at Ed and smile lightly. "He was the best father a boy could ask for. Even without my mother, I still felt like I had a complete family because my dad was so caring and loving." Staron paused and adjusted how he was sitting in the chair. "Tell me, Edward Elric, what is your father like? Are you proud of him? Does he treat you well?"_

_ Ed growled and snarled just at the thought of that bastard Hohenheim. "My father is nothing but a worthless bastard! He doesn't even deserve to be mine and Al's father! He's never done a thing for us and I'll never be proud of that jerk!"_

_ Ed was really getting tired of being hit in the head with that gun. He was starting to see stars and could taste the cold metallic bitterness from the blood that trickled from his busted lip. _

_ "Do not speak of your father in that manner. He is your father no matter what and you should always love him. Such a rude boy you are."_

_ Ed snarled and looked away in disgust. "Oh shut the hell up. What would you know anyways…" Ed muttered._

_ Staron clicked his tongue and shook his head in shame. He pulled the gun away from Ed's direction and began to load it slowly. "I really was hoping I wouldn't have to do this so quickly. I know that you can't possibly be the man that killed my father, but it's more of a principle to follow. I hate to do this, I really do, but you need to die."_

_ Staron finished loading his pistol and pointed it directly at Ed's chest. He gave one final smirk before pulling the trigger and releasing a fiery bullet that would end Edward's life. However, Ed had been prepared. Three hours of gagged silence really allowed him to make some headway on scratching a transmutation circle into his chair. Just as the trigger was pulled, Ed created huge hands out of the chair and ropes that engulfed Staron and pushed him back and knocked the gun away. He was a bit late though, and the bullet still managed to hit him in the shoulder. _

_ Ed remembered being stabbed in that same shoulder while he was fighting the Ice Alchemist. But that pain was nothing compared to the pain he was feeling now. He tried to bite back the scream that was bubbling up in his throat, but a small moan still escaped his lips. It was almost too much. And just when Ed thought it _would _be too much, it faded into numbness. Now he couldn't use his flesh arm, but all he really needed was his legs so he could run. _

_ He made it out of the room with only a few injuries, and was making great progress until he heard at least a dozen shots being fired at him. A few of the flaming bullets grazed his arms but one went through the upper part of his left leg. It was right above the port connecting to the automail, which made it hurt just a little worse than his shoulder wound. _

_ Ed veered to the left and ducked behind a corner as Staron raced by, oblivious to the bleeding boy that was now staring at him, watching him run further and further away. Ed gulped down some of his anxiety and took off down a narrow alley, feet pounding heavily on the sidewalk as his mind struggled to remain comprehensive. Little drops of metallic, coppery blood created a nice trail of breadcrumbs for _anyone _to follow. _

**xxx**

And that's how Ed found himself in this situation. He wasn't going to be able to make it much longer. He could hardly even feel his leg anymore, and his vision started to cloud over. He eventually gave up on running and had to lean against one of the buildings so he could catch his breath without falling.

Oh how that had been a mistake.

A bullet zipped right past his head, severing a few strands of hair in the process, and slammed right into the brick wall. Ed slowly turned, eyes widened in horror, to view who had just taken a shot at him. Of course, he already knew who was after him, but his mind was a bit on the slow side at this moment.

With his back against the wall and blood dripping from his wounds, Ed stared fiercely into Staron's eyes, as if he were daring him to shoot.

Staron smirked at Ed's daring glare and raised his gun. He took his aim, and without saying another word, pulled the trigger.

…

Roy kept running and running through the moonlit alleys. He kept a solid pace, and only when he heard the first few shots did he falter.

_'Dammit! I'm too late!' _Roy realized silently as he picked up his pace. _'Maybe I can still get to him in time. Ed's good at dodging bullets. He'll be fine…'_

And then Roy saw it. The breadcrumb trail. He bent down to get a better look at the coppery fluid, which seemed to shimmer in the night's mysterious light.

Roy growled loudly and took off into a dead sprint, his eyes locked on the splatters of blood. Well, whoever had been injured was bleeding pretty damn badly. And Roy begged that it wouldn't be Ed at the end of the trail.

But alas, he was disappointed.

In a four way intersection of connecting alleys, Roy found the boy he had been so desperately looking for. Albeit, he'd wished the boy hadn't been leaning against a brick wall, clutching his shoulder as blood poured from underneath his hand. And he really wished that there hadn't been bruises on the boy's face, or that he apparently had a busted lip.

But what Roy really wished for was that that gun that was pointed in the boy's direction would just disappear into the night.

But unfortunately for Roy, the gun was still there, and the man who had his finger on the trigger was just about to pull it.

Roy raised his hand and aimed it at the man. And in that instant, his mind went blank and some deep, protective instinct took over. Before he knew what was happening, Roy snapped his fingers and set the man with his finger on the trigger ablaze. Roy felt as though he'd heard something peculiar just as he snapped, but he ignored it and deemed it unimportant.

In mere milliseconds, a white hot explosion engulfed that small section of the four way and lit up the surrounding area. When the intense flame finally died down, all that was left were ashes and bones. And the charred remains of the pistol.

Roy sighed _the biggest_ sigh of relief in the history of sighs of relief. He'd made it just in time to stop the kill blow. Although he _was_ a bit nervous as to how Ed would act to seeing someone burned alive just a few feet in front of him. But Roy could deal with any emotional trauma later. Right now, he needed to make sure that Ed was alright.

Roy quickly spun on his heels so he could see Ed directly. But where he expected a blonde boy to be leaning against a brick wall, there was nothing but a few blood stains.

Then Roy's eyes shifted to the ground.

And his heart stopped.

* * *

**WAIT! DON'T KILL ME! I'm sorry, but I do wish to live.**

**Heh, wouldn't it be cruel if I just ended it right there? **

**Please don't kill me.**

_**IS THIS THE END?**_


	9. What He'd Feared the Most

**Hey, friends! So sorry about that cliffy last chapter. But I just could not pass up the opportunity! Well, I'm sorry about the long wait but finally, the next chapter has arrived! And I got so many awesome reviews that it's just totally radical! Thank you all so much and I hope you enjoy the next chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood**

* * *

**CHAPTER IX**

**WHAT HE'D FEARED THE MOST**

Roy quickly spun on his heels so he could see Ed directly. But where he expected a blonde boy to be leaning against a brick wall, there was nothing but a few blood stains.

Then Roy's eyes shifted to the ground.

And his heart stopped.

There the golden-haired, fiery-eyed boy lay, facedown, in a pool of his own blood. His automail arm was outstretched along the concrete floor while his real arm was tucked securely under his body. His golden bangs fell over his eyes and face, hiding his pale skin. And just the way he lied in that rapidly growing puddle of thick, coppery blood made him look smaller than ever before.

He truly looked like a child. Like just a boy.

Roy's eyes were transfixed on the body. He was paralyzed by guilt and grief, even though he currently felt numb and emotionless, a bit like a zombie. All of his efforts, all of his running, everything he'd _thrown away_: it was all for nothing. Because Roy had been too late to save him.

He had been _seconds _late.

And Roy now realized what that sound had been that he'd heard as he'd snapped. It was the sound of that goddamn gun being fired. Roy had _literally_ been a second late. And now… now he was left in the dark of night… all alone… with nothing but the light of the moon to comfort him. But nothing, _absolutely nothing_, could ever comfort him now.

Because Roy had failed to save Edward. He'd failed to keep his end of the deal.

Roy had promised to protect Edward. He had promised to keep him safe. But he had failed. He had failed in the worst possible way.

Roy slowly sauntered over to the boy with his head down. He felt like the entire world had just shattered into a million little pieces. Well, maybe the actual world hadn't shattered, but _Roy's _world certainly had.

Roy loomed over Edward with no emotion on his face. His mind wasn't exactly comprehending the situation. He wasn't sad, he wasn't upset, he wasn't crying. Hell, Roy didn't even have the presence of mind to be _angry. _He should've at least been angry at Staron for firing the bullet that had done this. But Roy's mind wasn't working at all anymore.

Because he absolutely refused to believe that Edward had just been killed.

And so Roy loomed over the boy, doing absolutely nothing at all. He wasn't sure if he was waiting for something or if he was just planning on standing there until his body gave out and he collapsed. Either way, Roy did nothing… nothing except stare at the lifeless, blood form before him.

Roy wasn't sure just how long he had stayed that way. Seconds felt like eternities to him. But… out of nowhere, something caught his eye. It was ever so subtle, and should've gone unnoticed. But Roy saw it. And it was enough to finally snap him out of his trance.

Edward's finger had twitched. Edward was _moving _his automail arm.

Edward was _alive_!

Roy's eyes widened as he watched the boy begin to stir ever so slightly. It began as a small movement of his automail fingers. Slowly, he began to move his entire arm and eventually, it evolved into a full blown struggle to get to his feet.

"Fullmetal!" Roy shouted in shock. He was so overjoyed. He was elated! The loud-mouthed, little shrimp was really alive!

"Uuhhh… M-Mustang?" Ed mumbled as he slowly turned his head. He was still dizzy and beyond any possible comprehension, but there was still some fight in him. If they could just stop all the bleeding, he would be fine. He would live.

Roy dropped to his knees and carefully rolled Ed onto his back. Now that he was out of his hypnotized state, he could actually try to help Ed and make sure he was okay. Roy checked each and every injury, making careful note as to what needed attended to first.

So the kid was definitely not okay.

Roy winced at each of the bullet holes, the one in his stomach being the most prominent. Apparently, the blast from his flames had sent the bullet off course and instead of hitting Ed in the chest, it landed in stomach. It was far enough to the right that it wouldn't have hit any important organs, but it was bleeding like a bitch.

"W-what are y-you doing here, M-Mustang?" Ed struggled to ask. He gritted his teeth as Roy wrapped a strip of cloth around his leg injury and bit back a moan of pain as a similar process was applied to his shoulder.

Roy looked Ed in the eyes and gave a genuine, yet cocky smile. "I heard you were going to investigate the Staron Case. And everyone knows that I was _dying _to get into this one. You were just a good excuse to come out here and get my hands dirty."

Ed gave Roy a smirk and grimaced from the resulting pain. "Oh, shut up, you b-bastard. You came out here b-because you thought I was going to get k-killed. I'm honored, I r-really am. The great and m-mighty Flame Alchemist actually _c-cares _about _me_."

"Hey, what would I do without my favorite shrimp always running around wreaking havoc? I'd be a lost soul," Roy teased. He sighed right before he shoved both of his hands over Ed's stomach wound. It was still bleeding pretty badly, and not even their typical banter could lighten the gravity of that.

Ed growled and slammed his automail fist into the ground. That had definitely been the worst pain out of the three treatments. But he let the pain dull into a numbing ache and returned his glare to Roy. "You're going to p-pay for that short comment, b-bastard."

Roy nodded and tried to hide his guilt. He could see the pain in the boy's eyes. And he also saw something else. Something far more frightening.

He could see the life starting to fade.

Ed was bleeding too much too quickly. If they didn't do something about his stomach, he'd bleed to death in less than half an hour.

"I know, I know. You can get me back later. But right now, I need you to keep talking. Do you hear me, Fullmetal? You have to keep talking. Help is on the way. But for right now, you need to keep yourself awake." Roy nervously glanced in between Ed's face, the blood pooling around his body, and the night sky. He'd told the woman at the inn to call the authorities if he hadn't returned by ten. But it wasn't ten yet. And he didn't hear any sirens. It was close to ten, but not quite there. And Roy couldn't just leave to go get help. Ed could bleed to death while he was gone.

Not that the situation would be any different if Roy stayed.

Roy needed to find a better way to seal up the wound in Ed's stomach. He needed to stop the bleeding, and fast. Things were starting to look hopeless again from Roy's perspective. No matter how he placed his hands on Ed's stomach, some blood always managed to find its way out.

Roy had been so focused on trying to stop the blood that he hadn't heard Ed talking until now.

"Sulfur, C-Chlorine, Argon, Potassium, C-Calcium, Scandium, T-Titanium…" Ed stopped his chanting when he noticed Roy's eyes had shifted to look at him. He gave the onyx-eyed man a curious look and raised his eyebrow. "_What_? You told me to k-keep myself awake. This is how I s-stay awake."

"By reciting the periodic table?" Roy asked in disbelief. If he had to recite the periodic table in order of atomic number, he'd probably fall asleep from boredom. He was surprised that this was how Ed kept himself awake.

Ed rolled his eyes and continued his reciting. This time, Roy listened a little more carefully. He knew that Ed had been shaking a bit when he began the chant, but by the time Ed had reached Rhenium, he could hardly talk at all.

"O-O-O-O-s-s-smium-m-m…" Ed muttered through a shaky breath. He moved his head to look at Roy and gave the man a frown. "C-C-C-Colonel…" He breathed quietly. "I-I-I-I d-don't think I c-can stay awake m-much longer…"

Roy shook his head furiously and pushed down harder on the wound. "Keep talking, Fullmetal! That's an order!" Roy growled angrily.

"M-Musta-"

"No!" Roy shouted, cutting Ed's sentence off. He glared into the boy's eyes, trying to see some spark of life in them. But it was practically gone. The flame was dwindling, and so was Roy's hope. But he couldn't give up, not yet. Images of the dream he had, images of Ed's funeral, whirled around in Roy's mind. He tried to fight them off, but he eventually succumbed to the pain and anger of the haunting images.

"No, goddamn it! Don't you dare give up! You have to live, dammit! Alphonse needs you! Your family in Resembool needs you! And what about Amestris!? Are you just going to die and let those damn homunculi take over!?" Roy paused and drew in a breath. "What about me? Are you just going to die and leave me… just like Hughes did…"

Roy looked away from Ed's eyes and stared at his hands over the wound. He didn't want to admit it, and he never would out loud…

But Roy was scared.

Edward Elric, his youngest subordinate, the boy he could practically call his _son_, was about to die, right in his hands.

And that is what Roy Mustang feared the most.

He'd already thought he'd lost him once, and he couldn't deal with that a second time. But Roy wasn't about to show his fear. So instead, it came out as anger.

"I will not bury you, Fullmetal! You are not dying before me! Do you understand me!? I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO DIE BEFORE I DO!" Roy bellowed in agony. He wouldn't lose Edward now, and not ever.

Ed, who'd nearly fallen into a never-ending sleep before Roy had begun his rant, looked up at the colonel lazily. His mind wasn't working properly anymore. He could hardly understand what Roy was saying. But something deep inside of him jolted awake with energy. Ed's eyes widened and he looked up at Roy with hope.

The spark had returned, even if only momentarily.

"M-Mustang…" Ed whispered. His eyes darted to his stomach and he sighed. "A-Alphonse told me about th-that fight with L-Lust…"

Roy listened nervously. He had no idea what Ed was trying to get at, but from the way the boy was talking, it was making Roy nervous.

"H-He told me about the w-wound you got from Lust… H-He told me h-how you cauterized it with your f-flame alchemy and s-stopped the bleeding…"

Roy gasped and shook his head. The memories of the pain and terror that he'd experienced soared through his mind. He would never put Ed through something as horrible as that. "No," Roy said bluntly. He wouldn't do it. He would never use his alchemy to burn Edward.

He would never burn Edward like he had all those Ishvalan children. Just thinking about the small bodies being engulfed in his flames made Roy want to vomit. He knew the smell of burning flesh, and he never wanted to smell that from Ed.

"Y-you have to, C-Colonel… It'll s-stop the bleeding… It's the only w-way…" Ed pleaded. He didn't want to die right there on the sidewalk. He didn't want to leave Alphonse all alone. He didn't want to make Winry cry again. Especially over something as stupid as this.

"P-please… C-Colonel…" Ed whispered in the faintest of voices. He really was dying. And Roy needed to make up his mind, _fast_.

Roy stared into Ed's pleading eyes with his own terrified ones. He could find so many reasons to _not_ use his alchemy to burn Ed, but something in the boy's eyes made all of his arguments disappear. Was it the desperation coming from them both, or was it the will to live that drove Ed to make that decision?

As Roy pulled up Ed's shirt to reveal the bloody, torn flesh, he saw something in the blonde's golden eyes that was truly amazing. The boy wasn't scared, or at least not as much as he should've been, and he definitely wasn't angry. No, Roy saw courage and bravery in the boy's eyes.

And Roy finally knew the feeling he had experienced that night Ed had run off to fight Gluttony.

It was pride.

Roy was so proud of Edward for being brave and mature, especially in a situation like this. Any other kid would have given up and would probably already be dead, but Ed was stronger. And _he _was the one who made the decision to use Roy's cursed flame alchemy to save his life. Yes, Roy was so proud of Edward. He was proud of the boy for being strong enough for the both of them. Roy was proud of Edward for being able to make the decision that he couldn't.

Roy pulled on a fresh glove, for his had been thoroughly soaked in blood, and aimed at Ed's wound. He had sworn he would never burn Edward, but this was the only way to save the blonde's life.

"I'm sorry," Roy whispered right before he snapped. The flame was small and well controlled, but it was still a flame. And flames will always do what they do best: burn.

Just as the fire made contact with Ed's skin, he slammed his automail fist into the ground and gritted his teeth. The pain was excruciating, and seemed to be never-ending. It wasn't a particularly quick process, which definitely was a downfall. The longer the flame was held against Ed's skin, the worse the pain became. But it was working. The wound was closing. True, they'd have to cut Ed back open later so they could get the bullet out, but this was definitely stopping the bleeding.

Soon, the warmth and light faded, and all that was left to light up the alley was the glow of the full moon. No more blood poured from Ed's stomach, and the wounds in his shoulder and leg had stopped bleeding for the most part as well.

Roy cautiously looked to Ed's face, expecting the kid to be long passed out. Indeed the boy was incredibly pale and sweating profusely, but Ed was still barely awake, giving him a small cocky grin.

"T-That was n-nothing compared to automail surgery…" Ed whispered as he closed his eyes and drifted into a deep, restful, much needed sleep.

Roy released a huge breath of air and sat back on his heels. Ed may be worse for wear, but he was going to live. Roy hadn't failed him. Not this time. He'd been able to protect him at the very last second. And it was unnerving as fuck to think about just how close Ed had been to death.

After just a few minutes of sitting in the silence and darkness of the night, Roy heard the distinct sound of sirens cut through the air. It was a sweet, relieving sound. He looked down at his watch to see it was just a few minutes past ten, and he smiled. The woman had come through for him.

Roy tilted his head up into the night sky, his eyes flittering across the millions of stars that dotted the blackness of space, and smiled a bright, happy smile. He lifted his hand and snapped, sending a burst of flames high into the air. This would serve as a makeshift flare so the authorities could find them in the deep, back alleys.

As the sounds of sirens grew louder and louder, Roy made the decision to steal a glance at the charred remains of Rob Staron. It was amazing to think that this one man had killed so many people in his life, just out of revenge for his father. And it was even more amazing to think that all it took was one simple _snap_ to stop his murderous activities.

Roy knew he should've been worried about all the questions that were going to be asked of him. He knew he should've been worried about what the police were going to do when they saw the body. But Roy wasn't worried about any of that. Not one bit. He was too _happy_ that his youngest subordinate was going to live and hadn't become another statistic in the Staron Case.

Roy got _extremely _lucky when the authorities arrived. Not a single one of the uniformed men were anti-military. They understood right away about what had happened, and immediately got an ambulance to the scene so they could transport Edward to a hospital. Hell, they actually _praised _Roy for stopping Staron.

Once they had Ed loaded in the ambulance and sent him on his way, one of the officers gave Roy a ride to the hospital. It was a long, quiet ride. Roy should've been thinking about his next move, about what he was going to do when they returned to Central. But he was just so drained and tired that he eventually gave up on trying to stay awake and drifted into a light sleep. He was awaked a short while later by the police car coming to a gentle halt.

"Colonel Mustang, we've arrived at the hospital. I've already informed the doctors of your situation. You'll be permitted to see your subordinate just as soon as he is moved into recovery. Good luck to you, Sir," The officer saluted as Roy rushed out of the car.

Roy hurried inside the cloyingly white hospital and was quickly ushered into a long, white hallway. There he was ordered to wait until a doctor told him he could go inside. He'd waited so long that eventually, all the white of the hospital began to merge and he felt like he was stuck in a white oblivion. Roy must've been _really _tired.

Just as Roy began to nod off yet again, a young doctor tapped him on the shoulder and dragged him back into the world of the living.

"Colonel Roy Mustang?" The medical guru inquired.

Roy nodded and scratched at his head, effectively messing up his hair. "That would be me."

"We've treated Mr. Elric and he is stable and currently resting. I'll tell you, it was a good thing you decided to close that wound in his stomach. If that boy had lost any more blood, he surely wouldn't have made it. But he'll be just fine, so you may go in if you'd like."

Roy shook the man's hand and clumsily got to his feet before traipsing slowly into Ed's room. He still felt a pang of guilt from not following Bradley's orders, but he was too relieved to let it torment him for more than a moment.

But thinking about that bastard homunculus really got Roy's mind turning. He _dreaded_ his meeting with the sin in disguise on his return to Central. He didn't know if he was going to be fired, humiliated, or even _killed._ And what about Ed? What was that bastard going to do now that Roy had completely gone off the rails and disobeyed to the highest level?

Roy knew he couldn't let Bradley anywhere near Ed, no matter what the cost was. Roy would give his own life if it meant that Ed would be safe. But Roy had known that all along.

The most terrifying thing that Roy had to succumb to was the fact that he would eventually have to face Bradley, whether it be a mild discussion or a full blown battle.

Roy was going to have to confront Fuhrer King Bradley, whether he was ready or not.

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**Hey! So? Did you like it? Am I permitted to live? Well, I do hope you enjoyed it and I regretfully inform you that the next chapter will be the last. But I'll have a few things to discuss but I'll save that for the next update.**

**Thank you to absolutely everyone and I'll see you in a few days!**


	10. What He Hadn't Expected

**Why hello, friends! Oh how I love all of you! You know, I'm really glad to have spent this time with you. You guys just make my days so much more awesome. **

**I received some AWESOME reviews for the last chapter. I was granted permission to live, although a couple of you added a suspicious 'for now' to the end of that haha. But anyways, thank you all for the wonderful reviews and I hope the final chapter doesn't disappoint.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood**

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**CHAPTER X**

**WHAT HE HADN'T EXPECTED**

After only a few meager days of recovery, Edward was released back into the harsh environment of Amestris. You could tell by the way in which he walked that he was still in pain, but no one was about to keep the elder Elric from his younger brother a single day longer. Roy had been the one to call Alphonse in the first place, just to inform the boy of his brother's condition, but it ended up with the two Elrics screaming through the phone at each other. Ed eventually succeeded in persuading Al that he was just fine and he would meet him in a few days up north. Roy was surprised that Alphonse had agreed to this, but he didn't question the matter any further.

Now Roy found himself standing in a western train station, sending Edward on his way. After all that had happened, after all that they'd been through, Roy couldn't believe that he wasn't going to see the kid for such a long time. He knew that the boys would probably spend months up in the icy wasteland, and he knew it was for the betterment of their knowledge, but it almost hurt to be away from them for so long. He wouldn't know if they were safe or if they were taking care of themselves or if they were being careful.

Roy sighed and tapped his foot along to the horrible elevator music that played in the train station. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked towards the ticket counter. When he noticed the lack of a red-clad alchemist in the line, his mind immediately went into panic mode. And just when he was about to jump from his seat, a familiar voice bellowed from behind him.

"HEY MUSTANG!" Ed shouted with the complete intention of scaring Roy. And to his satisfaction, it worked.

Roy rocketed out of his seat and turned to glare at Ed, an angry fire in his eyes. "JUST WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM, FULLMETAL!?"

Ed had been laughing so hard at his superior's reaction that he eventually caused his wound to ache. Of course, he immediately stopped his laughter and grabbed at the pain, hoping to rub it away.

Roy noticed his subordinate's actions and let his anger reduce to a mild simmer. "Hey, take it easy. You're going to reopen that fantastic seal of mine."

Ed swatted him away and stood up straight. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever." Ed then sighed and checked the clock, noticing the closeness to his train's leaving time. "Well, I'd better get going. Al's gonna have my ass when I get there…" Ed imagined Al towering over him with his suit of armor twisted into a demonic form. "He's gonna kill me!" Ed cried at the image.

Roy laughed and patted Ed on his automail shoulder, fearing if he touched his flesh one, he'd cause the boy pain. "Alphonse would never do anything of the sort. He's just going to be glad that you're okay."

"I suppose," Ed agreed as he nodded. He then reached down and picked up his lone suitcase before starting for his train. "Hey, thank the lieutenant for me when you get back to Central. If it wasn't for her, I never would've gotten away from that creep," Ed told as he chucked something to Roy.

Roy caught whatever Ed had thrown and held it up to his eyes. He was a bit surprised to see that he had been handed a safety pin. "What'd you use this for?"

"Scratched out a transmutation circle. That worked a lot better than my nail would have."

"Why'd the lieutenant give this to you?" Roy inquired, not quite understanding why Edward would need a safety pin in the first place.

"The hem on my pants was coming undone so she gave me that to hold it in place for the time being," Ed paused and clenched his fists. "If you say one word about my height, I will end you, Mustang."

"I suppose I can spare you for today," Roy laughed as he scratched the back of his neck. He watched nervously as Ed staggered on the train but quickly composed himself as the boy turned back around to face him. "So I guess you'll be on your way now, huh?"

Ed scratched his arm and nodded. "Yeah. I don't want to keep Al waiting any longer," Ed paused and looked into the raven-haired man's eyes. "Hey, thanks for everything, Colonel. You really saved my ass back there. I don't think I would've made it had it not been for you yelling at me," Ed joked with a small laugh. He felt awkward thanking Mustang, but he knew that the man deserved it. Even if just this one time.

"Yeah, well, I wasn't about to let you die on me. Not only would I have had to do a ton of paperwork, but you owe me for my dry cleaning. Apparently, blood is a hard stain to remove from the military uniforms."

Ed snorted and waved Roy off. "I'll throw it in with that 520 cenz I owe you. But seriously, thank you. I don't know of too many people that could've stayed as level headed as you had in that situation."

The engineer shouted out to all the passengers, signaling the train was about to make its leave. Ed had begun to turn around when Roy stopped him.

"Hey, be careful up there in Briggs. And take care of yourself. Don't get sick or anything like that. And make sure you get plenty of sleep and enough to eat. And try to at least stay out of trouble. And watch your back! And uh, don't get killed, alright?" Roy sighed and offered a smile, knowing full well that he sounded like a mother sending their child off to camp for the first time. Boy, this experience sure had made him crazy, hadn't it?

Ed was a bit surprised by Mustang's incessant worrying, but he smiled back nonetheless. "Relax, colonel. I'll be just fine. I'm not dying any time soon so you can quit your worrying. And you be careful too. Make sure that bastard Bradley doesn't do anything stupid while I'm away."

Roy figured he could be satisfied with that response, so he took a step back and saluted as Ed ran onto the train. As the black and green locomotive pulled out of the station, Ed leaned out of his window and waved goodbye to Roy, also feeling a twinge of sadness from his upcoming lengthy absence.

As much as he hated to admit it, Edward actually kind of like messing with Mustang during his visits. Sure they'd have their fights and get into arguments, but at the end of the day, Edward would always smile when he thought about his time with the colonel.

Roy took in a deep breath as the train disappeared into the distance, taking the golden boy with it to the frosty wasteland known as Briggs. Roy involuntarily shuddered at the mere thought of those temperatures, but quickly brushed the feeling off. He shoved his hands into his pockets and started for the ticket counter, hoping he might have missed every train heading back to Central. For the next fifty years…

Unfortunately for Roy, that was not the case.

His train left in a mere thirty minutes.

_'Great. Back to Central I go. Back to that empty office. Back to all that paperwork. Back to my dull, quiet life…' _Roy knew those thoughts were a lie. He was just trying to convince himself that nothing would have changed since he'd left. But he _knew_ that his life was practically over. Once he set foot in Central Command, his whole world would come to a crashing end.

Because Roy _knew _that Bradley would not tolerate something of this level.

Hell, if Bradley had nearly gotten Ed killed for something as small as that file that had been composed, then Roy Mustang was as good as dead. He should just lie on the ground and accept defeat, because Bradley was going to kill him.

He only hoped that his inevitable death would be quick and painless.

…

Twelve hours and thirty minutes later and Roy Mustang found himself standing on the floor of Central Station.

At first, he'd had a hard time willing his body to move. It was like his legs knew what was coming, and they were trying to prevent it. But eventually, Roy forced his body into a forward motion, and he began the trek towards Central Command.

It was a relatively enjoyable day out. A few clouds dotted the bright blue sky with the sun a beaming, yellow focal point. Birds chirped in the distance and children played on the play equipment in the park. The air was warm enough that you didn't need a jacket but not so warm that it was unbearable to be outside.

Roy savored the sweet refreshing air with every breath he took. He supposed that if he had to die, it was a plus that it'd be on such a nice day. He certainly didn't want to meet his death on a rainy day.

Even though his body felt heavy and his footsteps were slow and lousy, Roy felt a sense of relief. With Edward up north in the company of his brother, Roy didn't have to worry about the boy as much. He'd actually been able to sleep these past few nights, and that much needed rest had done wonders for his complexion. His face wasn't as pale and the bags under his eyes had faded away. He even stood a little taller than before. It was amazing what a good night's rest could do for a person.

Roy sighed a deep, heavy sigh as the first signs of Central Command came into view. He briefly wondered if the soldiers would still be angry with him, but he didn't give it much thought. If someone had a problem with him, then they could say it to his face. And that's where he left the thought.

The more pressing concern was Fuhrer Bradley.

Roy imagined _every _possible way that Bradley could end him.

Would he make it quick with a simple slice of his beloved sword?

Would he take him to the other homunculi and let them finish him off?

Would he find some false crime and have the actual military execute him?

Would he do it _slowly_ and precisely, making many small cuts in certain places so Roy experienced as much pain as possible but wouldn't bleed out till the very last second?

Roy shuddered at the last thought, but had to remind himself that Bradley never seemed the torturous kind of man. Then Roy also reminded himself that anything was possible with these homunculi and he should expect the worst possible death.

One thing that Roy _really _hoped was that he wouldn't be given to Gluttony. He did _not _want his tombstone to be read as _Eaten by a Homunculus. _The thought alone made him want to run for the hills and never look back.

As more and more of Central Command came into view, Roy began to slow his pace. He was going to drag this out as long as humanly possible. He didn't want it to end like this. He didn't want to die at the hands of that overconfident bastard King Bradley.

Who was going to become Fuhrer after the homunculi were defeated if Roy was killed?

Who was going to make Amestris a democracy and help restore Ishval?

Who would restore the nation to its former glory and make it a peaceful place for all Amestrians?

Who would constantly worry about those two Elric brothers and make sure they always had someone to turn to for advice or keep them in line or make sure they were safe and lived long, healthy lives?

Roy didn't want anyone else to take those positions, because as demanding as they were, he truly enjoyed them. They gave him something to strive for, and also gave him an odd sense of fulfillment. He wondered how Edward would take it when he was told about his death. Hopefully, he wouldn't be lied to as Roy had done with Hughes' death.

Roy took one final deep breath, inhaling the sweet sweet fresh air, before stepping through the gate leading into Central Command.

For some people, those gates could be comparable to the Pearly Gates leading into heaven. Those ignorant fools had no idea what was truly going on inside Central Command.

But for Roy, the gates to Central Command were more like the Gates to Hell from his perspective.

As Roy walked the long, bland halls of said military post, he received many different reactions from _all_ the soldiers.

Some saluted as they always had and always would.

Some gave him looks of shock and utter confusion and couldn't help but stare as he passed by.

And then there were some who looked at him with complete disdain and contempt, obviously not caring whether or not Roy noticed these particular scowls.

But no matter the reaction Roy received, he treated them all the same. He ignored every soldier, every civilian, every_one_ he passed by. He didn't have the bravado to make a scene of things, and he certainly didn't want to engage in any pointless pleasantries.

And then the inevitable came.

Before Roy even realized it, he was standing in front of Bradley's office, his hand raised into a fist, ready to knock on the door.

And Colonel Roy Mustang did not hesitate to do so.

"Enter," The unmistakable voice of Fuhrer King Bradley beckoned from the other side of the door.

Roy did as told, and quietly slipped into the office, closing the door behind him. He took note of the closed blinds and absence of other soldiers and or homunculi.

_'He must've been expecting me…' _Roy concluded confidently. He may not want to die, but he would never give that bastard the satisfaction of knowing he could shake Roy's confidence.

"I've been expecting you, Colonel. It's so nice that you could finally find the time to come visit your Fuhrer." Bradley's words were colder than ever before, but still somehow lacked emotion. And the homunculus had yet to look up from the paperwork that lay on his desk, adding to the eerie atmosphere of the room.

"I had business to take care of. This was the soonest that I could make it," Roy answered with an equally steady voice. His hard onyx eyes were staring at the being before him, just waiting for something, _anything _to happen.

And finally, Wrath looked up.

"Would this business include disobeying my orders, leaving your post without permission, and interfering in the work of another soldier?"

Roy stood just a little taller and smirked. "Yes, sir."

Then, rather unexpectedly, Bradley smiled. "Please do take a seat, Colonel. It's to my understanding that you had a long train ride, and I know how uncomfortable those seats can be. Standing like that must be making you tired, so do please sit down and make yourself comfortable."

Roy nearly choked on his own surprise, but sat down nonetheless. This was turning out much differently than expected.

"I heard that the Staron Case has been closed thanks to you and Fullmetal. I must say, that is quite the relief. He was becoming such a nuisance. And I also heard that you saved young Edward's life with your flame alchemy. It's a good thing that you decided to go out as back up for the boy. He really is a valuable resource to the military. It would be a shame to lose him."

Roy nodded, not quite knowing how to respond.

"You seemed surprised, Mustang. Were you expecting a different reaction from me?"

Roy was completely shocked. How the hell could this homunculus be so carefree and lighthearted right now? He shouldn't be praising Roy. He should be getting the inevitable murder done and over with.

Bradley's expression suddenly turned dark and he leaned back in his chair. "While you were away, Mustang, I was reminded that Edward Elric is an important sacrifice. Therefore, I am no longer permitted to use him as leverage. It runs too much of a risk of getting him killed."

Roy sighed mentally, feeling relieved ever so slightly. _'At least I know that he'll be safe now. At least from these bastards.'_

"And as much as I'd like to kill you for disobeying me, you are also a valuable pawn. You have been given mercy for today, but count your blessings Mustang, because they'll be running short soon."

Roy's gaze restricted and he showed just a slight amount of mocking confusion. "So there's someone else who has even more power than you, huh? What's that feel like? Being at the top all day long but knowing deep down inside that you, yourself, is also nothing more than a pawn?"

"I'd watch my tongue if I were you, Colonel. You're not _that _irreplaceable."

Roy figured he'd better shut up before he really got himself into trouble, so he quickly turned his serious mode on. "So now what? How are you going to punish me for my disobedience?"

"Unfortunately, you are viewed as a hero by your peers. They see it as you saved the Fullmetal Alchemist's life and stopped a murderer. Therefore, if I were to demote you, too many questions would be asked. And since I've been ordered to spare your life, I can't kill you. But we'll look at it from a different perspective."

Bradley paused to glare into Roy's eyes. The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife, and the glares coming from the two men seemed to spark as they collided.

"I may not be able to use the boy against you… but I still have your lieutenant. She is not an alchemist, so she is not valuable to me or to our plans. If you disobey me again, I _will_ kill her. She can be used against you, and don't think for a moment that I would hesitate to end her life."

All the relief that Roy had previously enjoyed was now suppressed by an unruly anger. Bradley was right. Hawkeye could be killed and it would make no difference to their plans. Because she wasn't an alchemist and apparently, that was one of the requirements.

So Roy was in check yet again.

He'd been able to wriggle free for a few, sweet moments. He was able to enjoy the relief of not having to worry about his life or the life of Fullmetal's for just a few mere moments before he was thrown back into check once again.

But even though his pawn, his knight, his rook, his bishop, and his queen had been stripped away from him, Roy still had his king.

And he certainly hadn't been checkmated yet.

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**THE END. **

**Sooooooo? What did all of you think of it? I hope you liked it. I really do. **

**And now for what I needed to discuss.**

**There is one person in particular that I really need to thank. If it hadn't been for them, this story never would have been made possible. So a special thank you to the guest reviewer kelly who gave me the idea for this story in one of their reviews left on another one of my stories. I know it wasn't exactly how you expected, but I still hope you were able to read it and I really hope you liked it.**

**And as a side note off of that, I'd like to emphasize that this story only happened because of that review. I'd love to write another story, so if you have any ideas, I'd very much like to hear them. **

**(just got a really bad cramp in my foot and am trying really hard not to scream out in pain)**

**I really wish I could thank each one of you individually. I mean, all of you guys were so supportive and enthusiastic in your reviews that I'd just smile like an idiot for the rest of the day. I know I've said it before, but thank you so much. It really does mean more to me than I could ever express.**

**I'd also like to thank all of you who followed or favorited my story. That means so much to me as well.**

**And I really want to give a big thank you to the reader in general. So if you are reading this right now, I am thanking you. **

**And just for added measure... I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH! :D**

**(cramp has subsided. Foot is all good now.)**

**Okay, I'm good now haha. Anyways! If you haven't already, I'd really appreciate it if you'd check out my other stories (Overcoming Differences, When You Forget the Date, and As Simple as a Bullet) Let me know what you think of those as well!**

**Alrighty guys, that's about it. I hope you enjoyed my story, and I do hope you'll stick around for the next one.**

_**Until we meet again...**_


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